Errol Spence Jr. will be facing Yordenis Ugas on Apr. 16 as he defends the WBC and IBF welterweight titles. Also at stake is the WBA (Super) welterweight title in the clash set to take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Ironically, Spence will be facing the same fighter who replaced him against now-retired Manny Pacquiao.
The 32-year-old was forced to pull out of the fight in August last year after suffering a retinal tear in his left eye. Favored to prevail over the Filipino, a win over Pacquiao would have catapulted his boxing career further.
Despite the missed opportunity, Spence says he has no regrets missing out on boxing against Pacquiao, aware that he could have ended up losing more than it.
“If I would’ve fought him, I probably would have been blind in my eye and lost my career. Everything happens for a reason. I just got to take the punches and roll with it,” Spence said in a report from Boxingscene.
Ugas stepped in to take his place and shocked the world when he won over Pacquiao via unanimous decision. The victory elevated the Cuban’s status although he remains an underdog against Spence.
Spence was watching that fight and knows that Ugas is someone who cannot be taken for granted. He was keeping tabs, knowing that the winner of the Pacquiao vs. Ugas fight would be a possible next opponent.
“I’ve been looking forward [to this fight] since I dropped out of the Pacquiao fight,” Spence said. “I knew I’d be looking at either Pacquiao or Ugas. It’s Ugas now.”
Spence last fought on Dec. 5, 2020, winning via unanimous decision over Danny Garcia. Now, he returns to the ring, hoping to unify the welterweight titles against an unpredictable Cuban who could pull off another stunner this April.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.