Ugas an underdog against Spence but high in confidence after beating Pacquiao, says analyst

WBA world welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas is once again an underdog in his upcoming fight but should not be underestimated because his confidence is at an all-time high, said veteran boxing analyst Ed Tolentino.

Ugas, 35, scored an upset last August when he defeated Manny Pacquiao by unanimous decision. He is slated to face WBC and IBF world welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. in a unification bout on Sunday at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, USA.

"This is a good fight for the unified welterweight titles. Spence is the favorite here and a lot of people think he will dominate Ugas. But do not underestimate Ugas because he is coming in with a high level of confidence. This fight could be a stinker if they both play it safe," Tolentino said.

"Recently Spence also said that he is not totally recovered from his car crash. The Ugas camp claims Spence is not the same fighter after the accident then later on the latter said that he suffers from PTSD though we do not know if that affects his training."

While the respected analyst believes that Ugas cannot be overlooked, he nevertheless predicted that Spence would emerge victorious atop the ring and hoped that it would open up the gates to bigger fights in the division.

"I like Spence for this fight and hopefully that happens because I like to see Errol Spence versus Terence Crawford," Tolentino said.

—MGP, GMA News