Pacquiao To Face Ugas After Errol Spence was Diagnosed with Torn Eye Retina
FIGHT UPDATE: Unified Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. was forced to
withdraw from his blockbuster showdown with eight-division and former
welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao on Saturday, August 21 due to a
retinal tear in his left eye.
WBA Welterweight Champion Yordenis Ugas will step up to replace Spence and
will defend his title against Pacquiao, who won that title when he defeated
Keith Thurman in his last fight in July 2019. Being elevated to the main
event against boxing legend Pacquiao means Ugas will get a career-defining
fight sooner rather than later.
Spence discovered that he had a torn retina during a pre-fight medical
examination by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in Las Vegas on Monday.
He flew back home to Dallas, Texas on Tuesday and will have surgery to
repair the tear on Wednesday. Spence is expected to make a full recovery
and return to the ring.
“I’m very disappointed that I won’t be able to fight Manny Pacquiao on
August 21,’’ Spence said. “I was excited about the fight and the event.
Unfortunately, the doctors found a tear in my left eye and said I needed to
get surgery on it ASAP and that there was no way I could fight with my eye
in that condition. I’d like to apologize to everyone. You know I’ll be back
as soon back soon. We’ve come back from worse.’’
