Yordenis Ugas vs. Abel Ramos: Pride and Perimeter

The spotlight will once again shine on the red-hot welterweight division in a special Sunday, September 6 edition of FOX PBC Fight Night (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).

Live from Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on FOX and FOX Deportes, Cuban standout Yordenis Ugas (25-4, 12 KOs) faces tough-as-nails Abel Ramos (26-3-2, 20 KOs) in a twelve-round clash for the vacant WBA world welterweight title. 

On the undercard, undefeated prospect Jesus Ramos faces fellow unbeaten battler Esteban García in an eight-round super lightweight showdown and rising star Omar "El Relámpago" Juárez takes on Dakota Linger in an eight-round super lightweight contest.

The Story

Ugas, a bronze medalist representing Cuba in the 2008 Olympics, nearly walked away from the sport following back-to-back losses in 2014. After a 27-month hiatus, though, he returned and fought his way into becoming a top contender in the deep and talented welterweight division. 

The native of Santiago de Cuba who now resides in Miami, Ugas earned his first world title shot in 2019 against Shawn Porter, but came up short via controversial split decision. Dominant victories over Omar Figueroa Jr. and Mike Dallas Jr. have brought him right back into the title picture. A win this Sunday earns him his first world title and justifies the hard work and dedication put into a sport he began at six years of age.

Ramos, despite achieving a decent level of success as an amateur, mostly learned his craft the old school way: In the ring, by trial and error against high-end opposition. In just his ninth and tenth pro fights, the Casa Grande, Arizona native scored draws against future world champ Maurice Hooker and the highly-regarded Levan Ghvamichava, respectively. A little over a year later, he accounted well for himself in a loss to Regis Prograis. In 2017, he came up short in a Fight of the Year-candidate with Ivan Baranchyk and in 2018 he nearly edged out Jamal James in James' hometown of Minneapolis. 

Since the James loss, Ramos is on an 8-0 run with 7 KOs. In his most recent fight, he came from behind to stop the highly-regarded Bryant Perrella in the final second of their 10-round contest. 

Similar to Ugas, this upcoming title shot represents the reward for a career's worth of learning tough lessons and overcoming adversity.

The Stakes

The vacant WBA welterweight title is on the line and, with it, a probable instant ticket to a big-money bout.

The Matchup

Ugas is a well-schooled fighter who has become increasingly sharp as his level of opposition has improved. Smart and adaptive, he's also patient with a respectable ring IQ and a diverse skill set.

If allowed to dictate the pace and space of a bout, he will pick opponents apart with precision and a calm, measured offense. The 34-year-old does a lot well on offense, but is especially adept at working the body and executing a good long-armed approach from the outside with a quality jab and crisp, accurate counters.

“ I’m expecting an all-out war. ” Welterweight Contender - Yordenis Ugas

His preference for an orderly contest at a controlled pace makes him vulnerable to opponents who may be able to create some chaos in the ring. He's also not an entirely elusive defender. This, however, has been less and less of a concern as he's advanced in his career.

Ramos is best known as a battler, but he's also an underrated boxer with a good jab and an improving overall skill set. 

Although he's picked up degrees of nuance with experience, his aggressive instincts still drive his in-ring approach. A lack of next-level athleticism has hurt him against higher-end opposition and has kept him one step behind those with world class hand and foot speed. His tenacious nature, however, works to grind down opposition and create opportunities for game-changing offense. 

On defense, the 29-year-old is solid and improving, but his style and temperament will never allow him to be anything greater than slightly above average defensively.

The Words

Yordenis Ugas

"Ramos is a very tough fighter who has a tremendous amount of heart...This will be one of those fights that the fans will be talking about for many years, because we are not going to be backing up. I’m expecting an all-out war.

"It will be an honor to become the first Cuban welterweight world champion of this millennium...My goal is to not leave the decision in the hands of the judges, so I’ll be going for the knockout."

Abel Ramos

"I’m very excited for this fight. I trained extremely hard and prepared myself for a tough fight. I know that Ugas always comes to fight, and the fact that there’s a title on the line makes this fight even better. It’s every fighter’s dream to become a world champion. I’m prepared for war. Boxing fans can expect fireworks on Sunday."

The Breakdown

To say that Ugas is the classy boxer and Ramos is the hard-charging battler is too simple of an analysis. The truth is that Ugas can fight as well as box and Ramos can box as well as fight. Ultimately, though, this particular contest is going to come down to Ugas' boxing and whether it can shut down Ramos' aggression. 

Ramos, who may struggle with Ugas' next-level athleticism, is going to have to turn a boxing contest into a war—something which suits him just fine. 

Ugas' road to victory is also a complicated one. He's struggled in the past with bullish fighters like Ramos who can take the fight to him and push him out of his comfort zone.

On Sunday, the fighter who controls the perimeter will control the fight. If we see a battle at arm's length, the taller, longer Ugas will come out ahead. If there's trench warfare, Ramos has a good chance of pulling off the upset. 

With a world title at stake and so much pride on the line, things will get intense.  

For a closer look at Ugas vs Ramos, check out our fight night page.