Account
Yordenis Ugas Net Worth, Projected Pacquiao Purse Earnings, Fight Predictions
August 21, 2021
WBA super welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas is set for the biggest fight of his career Saturday night when he defends his title against boxing legend Manny Pacquiao at T-Mobile Arena is Las Vegas.
Ugas accepted the opportunity on extremely short notice as his addition to the card was announced Aug. 10 after WBC welterweight champ Errol Spence Jr. withdrew because of an eye injury.
The 35-year-old Cuban told ESPN's Mike Coppinger he never expected the chance to stand across the ring from Pac-Man, but it will be all business once the fight gets underway.
"He's one of the greatest fighters of all time, there's no question about it," Ugas said. "It's going to be a pleasure and honor to share the ring with a legend. But once the bell rings, all that goes out the window and it's a fight. It's not, 'I'm fighting Manny Pacquiao.' I'm fighting for my life."
The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist enters the bout with a $15 million net worth, according to both Gossip Gist and FactMandu.
His guaranteed purse and potential pay-per-view share for Saturday's clash with Pacquiao haven't been announced since he was added to the card last week.
A high number of variables makes the fight itself tough to forecast.
Ugas (26-4; 12 knockouts) has never stepped into the ring against an opponent with Pac-Man's track record. His most prominent fight before Saturday came in March 2019 when he suffered split-decision loss to Shawn Porter, and this is another increase in the level of competition.
Pacquiao (62-7-2; 39 KOs) is making his return after a hiatus that lasted over two years. His last fight was a split-decision victory over Keith Thurman in July 2019. At 42, it's unclear whether he can still perform at or near the same level he did during his prime.
Add in the limited amount of time both fighters have to prepare for an opponent finalized less than two weeks ago and the fact that neither is a knockout artist at this stage of his career, and this could become a bout that comes down to a small difference on the judges' scorecards.
Does Ugas have a chance to pull off the upset for the biggest win of his career? Yes, but Pac-Man is still the favorite to add another win to his already tremendous resume.
Prediction: Pacquiao by unanimous decision.