After Yordenis Ugas won a deserved unanimous decision victory over Manny Pacquiao this past Saturday in Las Vegas, many expected Pacquiao to hang up his gloves. Instead, the Filipino legend is considering stepping back in the ring with Ugas in January.
Speaking with The Athletic, Pacquiao still seemed stunned at the loss to Ugas, who had stepped into the main event on short notice when Errol Spence Jr. suffered an eye injury. In the ring after the fight, Pacquiao said he had suffered from leg cramps that significantly hindered his movement, which he said again days after the defeat.
“In my entire career, Ugas was one of the easiest opponents,” Pacquiao said. “[Ugas] only had one style, and I should’ve been able to easily move away … you’ve seen how I have moved in my fights before. I couldn’t move in this fight. My legs just … stopped.”
Pacquiao’s immediate concern is an attempt to leap from his status as a senator to the presidency in his native Philippines, which would begin in February. But the Filipino legend thinks that he could be back in the ring one more time before that process kicks off.
“Yes, I can come back in January. I will see about it,” Pacquiao said. “I know I can rematch him if I want. I’ll just need to tell [Premier Boxing Champions head] Al Haymon. That would be no problem. I will think about it because I can’t believe that one of the easiest opponents I ever faced did that.”
