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Manny Pacquiao vs. Yordenis Ugas: Odds, Fight Time, Scorecard Predictions
August 20, 2021
Manny Pacquiao may be lacing up the gloves for the last time when he faces Yordenis Ugas on Saturday night.
The 42-year-old was set to return to the ring against Errol Spence Jr. in what would have been one of the biggest fights of the year. Instead, an eye injury forced Spence to pull out, and Ugas will step up to fight Pac-Man instead.
There's a little bit of intrigue in the bout. When Spence was forced to withdraw from the fight, it set up an opportunity for Pacquiao to reacquire the WBA welterweight title. The boxing icon also went from underdog to favorite.
Here's a look at the odds and fight info for the big fight.
Fight Info
Date: Saturday, Aug. 21
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Start time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: Fox PPV
Odds: Manny Pacquiao: -430 (bet $430 to win $100) vs. Yordenis Ugas: +300 (bet $100 to win $300)
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.
At 42, every time Pacquiao steps into the ring, it could be the end of his legendary career. We haven't seen the welterweight in the ring for more than two years. He isn't getting younger, and his political career in the Philippines appears to be expanding.
He's been upfront with his retirement status.
"I don't know if this is going to be my last [time in the ring]. We are going to see fight by fight," Pacquiao told ESPN on Wednesday (h/t Salvador Rodriguez). "But if I have the possibility of making one more fight, then I would like to face the best—either Terence Crawford or Errol Spence."
That shows Pacquiao is still motivated to take on the best that his weight class has to offer. Either Spence or Crawford would create a huge matchup and payday, but he has to take care of Ugas first.
For the Cuban, this is the biggest opportunity of his career. The 35-year-old is already a champion, but a win over a fighter of Pacquiao's caliber means more than a belt.
"This means the world to me," Ugas told the media earlier in August. "I am fighting not for the money but for my legacy, for my country, for my own story that's going to be told."
Pacquiao's time in the ring may be winding down, but his skills were sharp the last time he fought. He's on a three-fight win streak that includes decision wins over Keith Thurman and Adrien Broner and a TKO win over Lucas Matthysse.
A quick glance over Ugas' record, and it's tough to find even one win that brings as much credibility as one of those wins for Pacquiao.
Once in the ring, the key will be how much Ugas can do while keeping things moving. He simply doesn't have the power, footwork or technique to hang with Pacquiao. What he does have is an effective jab, decent power punching that he can throw off it and a willingness to take some punishment.
Ugas hasn't been knocked out and took Shawn Porter to the limit, losing a split decision.
Overall, this matchup should be a great indicator for how much Pacquiao has left to put into the sport. This is far from a legacy-defining matchup, but a Pacquiao who is on top of his game should win this one fairly easily.
If it's time for Pacquiao to hang up the gloves, this one could get surprisingly close. That doesn't feel likely to happen.
Scorecard Prediction: Pacquiao via decision (118-110).
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