Manny Pacquiao will face WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas after Errol Spence Jr was forced to withdraw from their August 21 title bout due to injury.
Pacquiao, the 42-year-old eight-division world champion, was due to meet undefeated WBC and IBF welterweight champion Spence at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, August 21.
Spence, who recovered from a near-fatal car crash in late 2019 to return in December and dominated Danny Garcia on points, has won all 27 pro bouts, with 21 coming via knockout.
However, Spence, 31, revealed on Tuesday that he has been forced to step down on medical grounds because of a retinal tear in his left eye.
Philippines fighter Pacquiao will instead face Cuba's Ugas, who was due to make his first defence against Fabian Maidana in the co-feature of the Spence-Pacquiao card.
In a statement on Premier Boxing Champions’ website, Spence said: “I’m very disappointed that I won’t be able to fight Manny Pacquiao on August 21.
“I was excited about the fight and the event. Unfortunately, the doctors found a tear in my left eye and said I needed to get surgery on it ASAP and that there was no way I could fight with my eye in that condition.
“I’d like to apologise to everyone. You know I’ll be back soon. We’ve come back from worse.”
Pacquiao said: "First and foremost, I ask everyone to join me in praying for a full and complete recovery for Errol Spence Jr. Thank God his physical examination discovered his eye condition before he suffered any further damage."
Pacquiao, who boasts a 62–7–2 record, last professionally boxed in 2019 when he beat Keith Thurman by split decision for the WBA welterweight title.
But the Philippine senator was stripped of the crown in January due to inactivity.
While preparing for the bout with longtime trainer Freddy Roach in Los Angeles, Pacquiao insisted the layoff had "helped my body and my mind a lot.
"This time around, I'm as excited as ever and feeling like I'm young again," he said.
His experience could be a bonus as he readjusts to take on Ugas, a 35-year-old Miami-based Cuban who owns a record of 26-4 with 12 knockouts. Ugas beat Abel Ramos last September and was installed as WBA champion after Pacquiao was stripped of the belt.
Pacquiao added: “I have agreed to fight Yordenis Ugas on August 21 for the WBA welterweight super championship. The proper way and the only way to win a world title is inside the ring.”
Ugas said it would be "an honour" to meet Pacquiao in the ring.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Pacquiao, but I am coming to win this fight," he said.
“Everyone knows my story about how I came to America to follow my dreams of becoming a world champion, and now it’s time to stamp my legacy with a victory as one of the best Cuban fighters to ever put on a pair of gloves."
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Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
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Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
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How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
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- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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