‘I Was Practically on the Street’: Manny Pacquiao Reminisces How After Being Dropped by Bob Arum’s Top Rank He Made a Comeback From 15–3 to Become World Champion

Yordenis Ugas who defeated the Filipino Boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao, in a match for the WBA welterweight belt in September of 2021, recently made a tweet. In the tweet, Ugas reflected on his first loss against Johnny Garcia after an 11-0 winning streak. He further talked about how he was dropped by Top Rank, immediately right after the fight. But regardless, he made a comeback by becoming a world champion later.

The Cuban Boxer, Yordenis Ugas, caught hold of his title as the WBA (Super) Welterweight Champion from 2021 to April 2022. He also held the WBA (Regular) title until the year, 2020. So, the two-time world champion did add some worthful mentions in the front of his name. Even though he had to face the worst outcomes that any boxer could have faced, at the beginning of his professional career.

The First Loss of the Subduer of Manny Pacquiao

On March 23, 2012, the controversial bout between Yordenis Ugas and Johnny Garcia was scheduled in the Diego Magdaleno vs. Fernando Beltran undercard fight. Ugas got stamped with his first loss by a split decision which was quite debated among the community. 

In Ugas’s recent tweet, he talks about his fight against Garcia. “He started off better than me. I started off. I stumbled. But what I’m doing, few fighters have done in history. I came here as a two-time amateur world champion and Olympic medalist. Things in boxing were not as I thought they would be. I had a split decision with Johnny Garcia,” said Ugas.

And this also turned out to be his last appearance as a ‘Top Rank’ boxer under Bob Arum. The Cuban boxer was dropped by the Las Vegas-based company right after his first loss despite his amateur record of undisputable winnings. And he also states this situation further in the series, “I was with Top Rank and they dropped me. I was practically on the street.”

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The Massive Comeback of the Cuban Boxer

Now Ugas knew he had to change the course of his career, otherwise, it would only roll down the hill. At that moment, his record held 15 wins and 3 losses, and he was not satisfied with those numbers for being a fighter of his caliber. So he started training harder, to make a comeback. And Ugas did so by becoming the WBA welterweight champion. He didn’t stop there, as his career touched its zenith when he upset ‘Pac Man’ by a unanimous decision.

The opponent of Manny Pacquiao was to be Errol Spence Jr., which would go down in history as the last fight of Pacquiao before his retirement, but Spence Jr had to pull out due to a left-eye injury. And that’s when Yordenis Ugas jumped in and scored a win, defending his title against the boxing legend.

And now Yordenis Ugas, the former WBA welterweight champion, is looking back at his eventful career with pride, as he should. Despite losing three of his first 15 professional fights, he made a comeback and became a world champion. 

It’s not uncommon for athletes to have setbacks in their careers, but those who are able to learn from their mistakes and continue to work hard can often come back and achieve great success. Ugas is an example of that. He was dropped by Bob Arum’s Top Rank, but he didn’t give up. It’s a testament to his determination and hard work. What is your take on Ugas’ inspiring journey? Let us know in the comments.

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