Manny Pacquiao vs. Yordenis Ugas: Free Boxing Betting Advice

This Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada, Manny Pacquiao looks to become a champion yet again in the welterweight division. Yordenis Ugas, on the other hand, looks to retain his title and prove he is the future of the division.

Let's see their boxing odds.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Yordenis Ugas

Saturday, August 21, 2021 - 11:00 PM ET at the T-Mobile Arena

How Did Ugas Land in This Spot?

Pacquiao was originally supposed to face Errol Spence, Jr. in this fight, but Spence had to be pulled because of an eye injury during training. That gave Ugas the chance to share the spotlight with one of the best to ever do it. Ugas is a very talented fighter. The Cuban fighter has won eleven of his last twelve fights, and the one loss in that sequence, to Shawn Porter, was a controversial one, to say the least. Either way, Ugas has proven he is a deserving champion, even if the belt made its way to him in a circuitous fashion.

Ugas holds the WBA welterweight championship that Manny Pacquiao held two years ago. Due to inactivity, Pacquiao was stripped of the title and Ugas won a fight against Abel Ramos to claim the vacant championship.

Boxer Yordenis Ugas. (Photo by Ethan Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Will Manny Pacquiao Show Ring Rust?

Pacquiao is forty-two years old and hasn’t fought a fight in two years. His ring shape is a more than fair line of inquiry to pursue. Will he be rusty? Will he look slower? Less powerful? We don’t know because it’s been a while and he is advancing in age for a fighter. Having said all that, he looks like he is in incredible shape, and Manny Pacquiao has developed different styles for different phases of his career.

Early in his career things were built around his power. As he has gotten older, he has gotten smarter and applied more defense and speed. For forty-two years old, the Pac-Man still has some of the fastest hands in the game. I think that Freddie Roach will have Pacquiao ready and the issue of “ring rust” will be dispatched rather quickly in this one.

Betting Analysis

Manny Pacquiao is roughly a -350 favorite at most shops around town. He is the more experienced and more accomplished fighter in this bout. Ugas is no slouch, though. He is a guy who has battled severe adversity and overcomes it to become a world champion. Now is his chance to shine on the big stage with a hall of famer. This is his chance to legitimize his career to the world.

I expect a good fight. I also expect the fight to go the distance. Pacquiao doesn’t have the power of his twenties or early thirties, and Ugas is not exactly a knock out artist either. If the fight goes the distance, the edge goes significantly to Pacquiao. He is a smart defensive fighter and he will have an edge with the judges by being the bigger name and personality in this fight. It’s unfortunate that we have to consider that, but it is what it is. I’ll take Pacquiao to win on the cards.

Boxing Pick: (visit our Sportsbook Review)

*The pick reflects the line at the moment the writer made the play, the odds at the beginning of this article show the live line movement. Since the lines might vary, don’t forget to refer back to our live odds.