"My son always brings me energy and inspiration" - Yordenis Ugas puts his role as a father before fighting

Yordenis Ugas will defend his WBA (Super) Welterweight Title against Errol Spence Jr. on Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

In an All Access promo video released by Showtime, Yordenis Ugas revealed that he prioritizes his role as a father over his role as a fighter. He also stated that his son is a source of energy for him:

"All my energy is on this fight. The fight is consuming all my energy. But seeing my son, being able to play with him... my son always brings me energy and inspiration."

Check out the full All Access promo released by Showtime here:

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Yordenis Ugas' career thus far

Yordenis Ugas is an America-based boxer from Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Ugas had a highly successful amateur career. He won gold medals at the 2003 AIBA World Cadet Championships, the 2005 Boxing World Cup, the 2005 AIBA World Championships, the 2005 Pan American Championships, the 2006 Central American and Carribbean Games, and the 2007 Pan American Games. He also won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

After moving to the United States to begin a professional career, the former Olympic champion won his first eleven bouts. In his first televised fight, however, Ugas lost a controversial split decision against Johnny Garcia and was dropped by Top Rank, his promoter.

After losing his promoter, Ugas had difficulty finding good fights. In 2014, he retired from boxing with a record of 15-3. He said that he knew how to do little else when he retired from professional boxing, as it had been the defining element of his life up to that point.

In 2016, Ugas returned to the ring and defeated Jamal James via unanimous decision. He won his next seven fights, four by knockout. In 2019, he finally got a shot at a world title when he challenged Shawn Porter for the WBC Welterweight Title. Though he lost by split decision, he was launched to fame.

In 2020, Ugas won the vacant WBA (Regular) Welterweight Title after defeating Abel Ramos. The following year, he succesfully defended his title against Manny Pacquiao.