Political Prisoners Inspire Cuban Boxer Yordenis Ugas in the Ring

Yordenis Ugás has adhered to the motto Patria y Vida and demands freedom for political prisoners. (Twitter)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Havana, 16 April 2022 — The fight that has been described as “the most important of his career,” has been dedicated by the Cuban boxer Yordenis Ugás to the political prisoners of the Island, as published on his social networks.

“My fight, as always, is representing our island, Cuba, but especially to all those who want and wish for change. To all the political prisoners, to all the prisoners of 7/11. To all of us who suffered exile for thinking differently and because a person can’t live in our country. Thank you. Patria y vida,” wrote the current professional boxing world champion on Instagram.

The boxer competes this Saturday against the unified world champion, the American Errol Spence Jr., at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Dallas, Texas. Both athletes will seek to unify the welterweight titles of the Association and the World Boxing Council, as well as the International Boxing Federation.

Ugás, along with his words on social networks, added a video where a compatriot wishes him luck in the competition, and the boxer turns to greet him. “Thanks to each person who is coming to this stadium to support me, especially my Cubans, who are few but for me they are worth thousands,” he wrote.

Yordenis Ugás is a Cuban boxer who, in addition to hooks and rings, also knows very well the drama that thousands of his compatriots experience daily when they leave the Island.

In March 2010, he left his country on a boat, with the goal of reaching the United States, but before that he made a stopover in Isla Mujeres, opposite Cancun, Mexico.

At the age of 24, he left his mother, Milagros, and the rest of his family in Santiago de Cuba. His future was in the power of his fists, though just one year out of training he knew it wouldn’t be easy.

In September 2020, he was crowned the welterweight world boxing champion and in August 2021, Ugás defeated Manny Pacquiao in the ring; Pacquiao had tried to recover the title that the Cuban had won a year earlier.

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