Cuban boxer Yordenis Ugas is more than grateful to face no less than Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Aug. 21.
Ugas served as a replacement for the injured Errol Spence Jr., who went eye surgery recently, in two weeks' notice.
Now Ugas is set to prove his worth when he defends the super WBA welterweight belt previously owned by Pacquiao.
READ: Manny Pacquiao to face Cuban champ Yordenis Ugas after Spence pullout
"This means the world to me," said the 35-year-old Ugas, who holds a 26-4 record on top of 12 knockouts. "I'm fighting not for the money but for my legacy, for my country, for my own story that's gonna be told.
"That's why this is the most important fight of my life," he added during a recent online media conference by Premier Boxing Champions.
Pacquiao, 42, pretty much felt the same and was vocal about defying age for as long as his overall health -- physically, mentally, and spiritually -- can take.
There was mutual respect between the two welterweight fighters as the Filipino fighting senator claimed that it won't be an "easy fight."
"Ugas is a champion. He took my belt and we have to settle it inside the ring," added Pacquiao, the only eight-division world boxing champion who has 62 wins, seven losses, two draws with 39 knockouts at hand.
"I never take him lightly because Ugas is the kind of fighter you cannot underestimate. This is gonna be a good fight also. I mean, Ugas and Spence are similar. Nothing changes, just the different style, southpaw and right-handed ."
READ: Pacquiao says stance switch ‘only danger’ in facing Ugas
Ugas scored a split decision win against American Abel Ramos last September 2020 while Pacquiao has not fought since beating Keith Thurman via split decision in July 2019 to capture the super WBA belt.
Pacquiao got stripped of his belt last January due to inactivity with the WBA naming him as "champion in recess" first before declining his appeal for reinstatement in July which raised Ugas from being WBA's "regular" to "super" champion.