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Errol Spence Jr. Will Face Yordenis Ugas, But Are We Getting Closer To An Undisputed Champion?

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Unbeaten WBC and IBF welterweight world champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. and WBA welterweight world champion Yordenis Ugas will finally face each other.

The welterweight championship unification showdown is on Saturday, April 16, from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The bout will be Spence’s third at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, which is near his hometown of DeSoto; he defeated Mikey Garcia and Danny Garcia (no relation) at the venue in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Welterweight Supremacy

Spence-Ugas pits two of the best welterweight champions in the sport in a high-stakes unification match. Both men are coming off impressive victories over elite welterweights at the top class of the division.

Spence defeated former champions Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter in his past two fights, while Ugas scored a thrilling upset victory over future Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao.

Spence, who will put his WBC and IBF titles on the line, will be making his second comeback from serious injury. The 31-year-old was involved in a single-car accident in October 2019 that hospitalized him for days and sidelined him for months.

Why Spence-Ugas Works

A planned August 2021 fight with Manny Pacquiao was derailed after he underwent surgery to repair a detached retina.

Ugas (27-4, 12 KOs) stepped in on 11 days’ notice and scored the upset of Pacquiao via unanimous decision. Now, Ugas will defend his WBA title in a three-belt unification.

The 35-year-old Cuban and Spence have one common opponent: Shawn Porter.

Spence defeated Porter in a brutal September 2019 fight via split decision. Six months earlier, Ugas dropped a controversial split decision to Porter.

Spence (27-0, 21 KOs) is rated No. 2 at 147 pounds by ESPN; Ugas is one spot behind. Terence Crawford, who holds the other welterweight title, is No. 1.

Undisputed

A fight between the winner of Spence-Ugas and Crawford would crown an undisputed welterweight champion.

However, Terence Crawford vs. Keith Thurman might be more likely in between.

Thurman proved he is still an elite welterweight, winning a 12-round unanimous decision over former super lightweight world champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios.

In his first fight in over 30 months, the 33-year-old Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs) displayed the attributes that led him to the top of the 147-pound division. Thurman got off to a strong start and never relinquished control, at times punishing Barrios with hard shots.

There Can Only Be One

Terence Crawford stopped former two-time titleholder and mandatory challenger Shawn Porter in the 10th round in November to retain the WBO welterweight belt.

Depending on the Spence vs. Ugas fight results, a medical suspension is possible, as Spence is a heavy slugger. However, to avoid stagnation, Crawford facing off against Thurman would be great for the division, as it would further round out the welterweight landscape.

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In a world where being undisputed is occurring more often, it would be excellent for there to be an undisputed welterweight champion. Now that Spence vs. Ugas is official, the division is getting closer to one champion, which is more of what the sport needs.

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