As he prepares for his upcoming fight on August 21st against Fabian Maidana, WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas had a lot to say about the division he is in after being included on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs Errol Spence Jr. pay per view event.

“It is very obvious to fight fans that I’m the most avoided fighter in the division. I want to defend my WBA world title against any-and-all challengers, but it seems not many of the top fighters are willing to fight me, even though I have a world title.”

Those were some of his words while he was in training camp recently, as he had been mentioned as a potential opponent to multiple top fighters in the division which included Spence and WBO champion Terence Crawford. Because of that, he feels like he currently stands as a fighter that is a high risk to step in the ring with. At the same time, Ugas gives credit to Maidana for accepting the challenge against him.

“I want to thank Maidana for taking this fight,” Ugas said. “Fabian Maidana is a really good fighter who I have been aware of for a while. A lot of the big-name fighters don’t want to give me a chance. I still have a lot to prove and fans will see the desire in me when I step in the ring with Maidana.”

Ugas has been training in Las Vegas with veteran coach Ismael Salas, who has been in the corner with other world champions such as Erislandy Lara and Guillermo Rigondeaux. The camp has been great for Ugas and according to him it is because of the relationship that he has with Salas.

“Training in Las Vegas with Ismael Salas is something I cherish, because Salas and I are so close. We have great chemistry, and the gym has a family atmosphere. We have a lot of high-level amateurs, Olympians, and really good pros in the gym, and that takes training camp to the next level. I had the perfect sparring for this camp and I’m ready to fight.”

With this fight against Maidana being his first world title defense, Ugas knows what is at stake for him on August 21st. While he may think that he is the most avoided fighter in the welterweight division, a win sets him up for the fights that he wants to get.

“A win puts me that much closer to getting the winner of Pacquiao vs. Spence Jr., a rematch with Shawn Porter, a fight with Terence Crawford, or a bout with Keith Thurman. These are the fighters I hope I get to face in the future as I am looking to secure a legacy with my career, and I want to prove that I am the best welterweight in all of boxing.”

Cover photo by Sean Michael Ham of TGB Promotions