After more than two years on the sidelines, the inimitable Manny Pacquiao returns to the ring at 42 years old tonight (Sat., Aug. 21, 2021) atop a PBC on FOX pay-per-view (PPV), taking on late replacement Yordenis Ugas for the WBA “super” Welterweight title.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of tonight’s main event below. The FITE/FOX PPV kicks off at 9 p.m. ET, with Pacquiao and Ugas likely to make the walk closer to 12 a.m. ET.
Pacquiao — last seen taking out Keith Thurman in 2019 — was originally slated to face former Olympian and current unstoppable force Errol Spence Jr. When “The Truth” withdrew because of a torn retina and the lethal Ugas lost co-main foe Fabian Maidana to a cut, the stage was set for a makeshift main event. Earlier this evening, veterans Victor Ortiz and Robert Guerrero duke it out in a fight straight out of 2013, while unbeaten Featherweights Mark Magsayo and Carlos Castro square off against dangerous punchers Julio Ceja and Oscar Escandon, respectively.
Pacquiao Vs. Ugas Quick Results:
Manny Pacquiao vs. Yordenis Ugas — Ugas def. Pacquiao by unanimous decision (115-113, 116-112 x2)
Victor Ortiz vs. Robert Guerrero — Guerrero def. Ortiz by unanimous decision (96-94 x3)
Mark Magsayo vs. Julio Ceja — Magsayo def. Ceja by KO at 0:50 of Round 10
Carlos Castro vs. Oscar Escandon — Castro def. Escandon by TKO at 1:08 of Round 10
Pacquiao Vs. Ugas Round-By-Round Updates:
WBA “Super” Welterweight Championship: Manny Pacquiao vs. Yordenis Ugas
Round one: Early flurry from Pacquiao. Ugas working behind his jab. Looking to counter. There’s a right hook from Pacquiao, who opens up on the ropes. Ugas shoves him away, lands a right hand. Another Pacquiao flurry halfway through. Ugas digs a right downstairs. More jabs. Left hook downstairs, Pacquiao claims it’s low. Ugas continuing to sting away with the jab. Pacquiao tries a final blitz and slips. Close, think Pacquiao stole it with those flashy moments. 10-9 Pacquiao.
Round two: Ugas keeping the jab in Pacquiao’s face. PAcquiao looking to jab with him but outranged so far. Pacquiao looks for lefts, lands a jab ove rUgas’. Pacquiao fires a left, Ugas digs a right downstairs. Counter right. Halfway through. Another body shot. Pacquiao tries to open up, forced back with a right hand. Ugas controlling the round with his jab. Pacquiao looks for lefts, takes a body shot, tries to swarm. Looping right form Ugas. Pacquiao combination answered in kind. More Ugas jabs. Clear round for him. 10-9 Ugas, 19-19.
Round three: Pacquiao trying to set the tempo early, thus far unable to crack Ugas’ guard. Ugas continuing to keep Pacquiao at bay with the jab. Overhand right lands for Ugas. Pacquiao tries to swarm, doesn’t land, takes another overhand right. Pacquiao tries to sneak lefts around the guard. Halfway through. Ugas jabs, Pacquiao overhand left. Two-piece from Ugas, burst from Pacquiao. Ugas comes back with body shots. Double jab from Ugas. Pacquiao blitzes, eats a pair of shots on the exit. 10-9, 29-28 Ugas.
Round four: Good body shot from Pacquiao. Ugas cracks him with a jab in return, fires a right hand that Pacquiao claims is low. Ref threatens to take a point next time. Trading jabs. Good exchange at close range, right hand from Ugas. Two-piece from Pacquiao. Halfway through. Pacquiao to the body, uppercut from Ugas inside. Lead right lands for Ugas. Another long right. Pacquiao doubles up the jab, eats an overhand right. Slip by Ugas. Pacquiao tries a lead left. 10-9, 39-37 Ugas.
Round five: Good combos from Pacquiao early. Ugas with a double jab. Counter left catches Pacquiao coming in, Pacquiao comes back with a four-piece. Trading jabs. Counter right by Ugas, 1-1-2. Pacquiao tries to flurry halfway through the round. Both men bounce punches off the guard. Ugas lands a body shot, clash of heads. Pacquiao splits the guard with a left. Again. Good exchange in the center. Pacquiao turning up the volume later in the round. Ugas keeping up so far but Pacquiao’s definitely taken the round. 10-9 Pacquiao, 48-47 Ugas.
Round six: Ugas back behind the jab, doing well early. Pacquiao tries combinations, they fall short. Right hands from Ugas. Halfway through the round. Ugas tries a 1-2. Pacquiao goes for a flurry, slips an uppercut through the guard. Clubbing right by Ugas inside. Straight right upstairs, double jab. Pacquiao looking to jab with him. Pacquiao combination. Ugas 1-1-2, body shots. Pacquiao tries to open up before the bell. 10-9, 58-56 Ugas.
Round seven: Both men bouncing combos off the guard. Ugas body shot, clean jab. Pacquiao tries a combo, eats body shots in return. Jab lands for Pacquiao. Halfway through the round. Pacquiao trying some flashy moments. They exchange at the bell. Swing round, I think; 10-9, 68-65 Ugas.
Round eight: Pacquiao with an early left hand. Overhand right from Ugas, might be his best punch so far. Pacquiao to the body inside, good combination. Ugas right hand. Looping right by Ugas halfway through the round. Both fire combinations in the center, heavy overhand by Ugas. Pacquiao tries to get it back with a combo, eats a body shot. Trading right hands. Ugas with a low-high 2-3. Pacquiao tries to burst in return, met by a hard right from Ugas. Cleanest Ugas round in a while. 10-9, 78-74 Ugas.
Round nine: Technical difficulties; we’ll start 30 seconds in, when Pacquiao slips. Ugas with a right to the body. Pacquiao looking to jab, eats a stiff one and an overhand right in return. More Ugas jabs, 1-2. Halfway through the round. Pacquiao fires a combo. 1-1-2 comes back at him. Jabs from Pacquiao. Flurry attempt, Ugas bangs the body in return. They trade combinations upstairs. Slick low-high right hands from Pacquiao. 1-2 from Ugas in return. They collide before the bell. 10-9, 88-83 Ugas.
Round ten: Ugas advancing a bit more. Pacquiao fires a flurry and they slug in the center. Clinch. Hard 1-2 by Ugas. 1-1-2 by Pacquiao in return. Halfway through the round. 1-1-2 from Ugas, Pacquiao with a similar combo in return. Ugas to the body. Good trade. Trading jabs and crosses. Swatting right by Ugas. Pacquiao tries to answer to the body. Trading combos. 1-2 from Ugas prompts Pacquiao to try to get it back. Closer, but 10-9, 98-92 Ugas.
Round eleven: Ugas again trying to back Pacquiao up. Ugas with a two-piece downstairs, eats the same in return. Jabs from Pacquiao, good straight left halfway through the round. Ugas comes back with an overhand right, met by a flurry. Ugas 1-2. Right hand upstairs. Pacquiao straight left, eats an overhand right. Pacquiao three-piece in return. Ugas fires some heavy rights in the latter seconds. 10-9 Pacquiao, 107-102 Ugas.
Round twelve: Two hard right hands from Ugas hit home. A third not long after. Pacquiao tries a looping left, falls short. 1-2 from Ugas. Halfway through the round. Pacquiao lead left. Ugas with two more right hands before a clinch. Counter right. Another looping right, heavy combination on the ropes. Ugas avoiding the big flurries, attacks the body. Counter left by Pacquiao. Ugas combination. Both men swing, then clinch before the bell. 10-9, 117-111 Ugas. I could maybe give two more rounds to Pacquiao, but anything other than an Ugas win is a robbery.
Final result:
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