Errol Spence Jr. vs. Yordenis Ugas fight prediction, odds, undercard, preview, expert pick, date

Although their pre-fight guarantees remain different only in terms of the potential method of victory, welterweight champions Errol Spence Jr. and Yordenis Ugas have both promised fireworks ahead of Saturday’s massive unification bout from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.  

“I’m the type of guy that if I have to go toe-to-toe, I will,” Spence said at Thursday’s final press conference. “If I have to stay there and fight, I will. If we get in the clinch and start fighting, I don’t think it’s going 12 rounds.” 

“Spence promises a knockout. I promise a win,” Ugas said. “Don’t miss it!” 

Spence (27-0, 21 KOs) will snap a 17-month layoff following surgery on a detached retina when he defends his WBC and IBF titles at 147 pounds against Ugas (27-4, 12 KOs), the WBA titleholder, in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions event set to air on Showtime PPV (9 p.m. ET). The fight will not only provide further clarity on the road toward a possible undisputed championship fight for the winner against unbeaten WBO champion Terence Crawford, it’s expected to crown a new power broker within the division.  

The fact that the 35-year-old Ugas is in this position at all remains one of boxing’s best human interest stories. The former Cuban amateur star has endured everything from a dangerous defection of his home country to back-to-back losses in 2014 that appeared, at the time, to label him as a failed prospect.  

All Ugas has done since then is win, with the exception of a split-decision 2019 title loss to Shawn Porter, which most failed to even recognize as a defeat. Not only do some observers believe Ugas should’ve been given the nod on the scorecards, he was outright robbed of a 12th-round knockdown by referee Jack Reiss that would’ve altered the result.  

Two years later, Ugas filled in on late notice to replace an injured Spence against Manny Pacquiao and authored his most impressive…