By: Hans Themistode
From the moment Yordenis Ugas wrapped the WBA welterweight belt around his waist, he envisioned a duel with current unified champion Errol Spence Jr.
As first reported by Boxingscene.com, both Ugas’ team and mandatory challenger Eimantas Stanionis, have reached an agreement. As a result, their December 9 bid was officially cancelled.
In an effort to end the proliferation of WBA world titles in multiple weight classes, the sanctioning body ordered the removal of several of their “Regular” and “Super” champions. In the case of Ugas, the organization’s “Super” champion, he was officially ordered to participate in a four-man match.
On one side of the frame, Jamal James watched his secondary title slip from his hands at the hands of Radzhab Butaev via a ninth-half goal. Now, the winner of the Ugas vs. Stanionis will continue to face Butaev in the second half of 2022.
As for when and where Ugas and Stanionis will share the ring, that has yet to be revealed.
As for Ugas, 35, he is currently in the midst of the best form of his career. Since consecutive defeats in 2014, the Cuban-born player has won 12 of his past 13 competitions. His most notable victories were against the likes of Jamal James, Thomas Dulorme and Ray Robinson mentioned earlier. Despite the magnitude of those victories, Ugas recently marked the most significant milestone of his career, a unanimous decision to replace Manny Pacquiao in the future’s first voting booth early in the year. now as a late substitute.
Despite the epic win for the WBA belt holder, Stanionis went into their match with confidence. The 27-year-old Lithuanian has looked impressive throughout the early stages of his career. The former 2016 Olympic runner overcame competitor Thomas Dulorme in April 2021, before settling out of competition with former champion Luis Collazo due to an accidental head-to-head clash.
With a world champion about to be crowned in the WBA sanctioning body, the organization’s winner could find himself facing Spence Jr in an attempt to unify the division even further.
