Errol Spence On Facing Ugas- “I Want Knockout”

After Errol Spence Jr. and Yordenis Ugas both easily made weight on Friday they stood and briefly stared directly into each other’s eyes.

There was no trash talk, no pushing or shoving. No nonsense at all. Just two calm, confident, stone-faced champions ready for the biggest fight so far in 2022.

Sink or swim 🦈 #SpenceUgas 𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 9PM ET/6PM PT on 𝗦𝗛𝗢 𝗣𝗣𝗩 ➡️ https://t.co/hm8UTDacri@ErrolSpenceJr @YordenisUgas pic.twitter.com/ZXxzO9Aufc

— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) April 15, 2022

Spence, the WBC/IBF welterweight titlist, and Ugas, who holds the WBA 147-pound title, will meet in a three-belt unification fight Saturday (Showtime PPV and PPV.com, 9 p.m. ET, $74.99) in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions event at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, a home region fight for Spence, who hails from nearby DeSoto, Texas.

Both fighters looked in supreme condition at the outdoor weigh-in. Spence was 146.25 pounds for his sixth title defense (and second as a unified titleholder) and Ugas weighed 146.75 for his second defense, which is coming eight months after outpointing the legendary Manny Pacquiao and sending him into retirement in August.

Hear our full preview of this bout and the entire Showtime/PBC card tonight in Arlington, TX, on the latest “Big Fight Weekend Podcast” by clicking below:

Back to Friday afternoon. Spence sounded like a man on a mission following the weigh-in.

“I’m proving the point that I’m the best at 147 pounds,” Spence said. “I’m the best in the division. I’m making a statement come Saturday night. I want the knockout. I’m gonna get the knockout. I’m gonna get his belt and then after that it’s time to be undisputed champion of the world and I’m going after (WBO titleholder) Terence Crawford after I get through Ugas.”

Spence-Crawford has been one of the most demanded fights by boxing fans and media for the past few years but has never come close to being made. Perhaps things will be different if Spence wins because now Crawford is a promotional and broadcast free agent.

During a recent episode of Showtime boxing host Brian Custer’s “The Last Stand” podcast, he interviewed Spence and the subject of a possible Crawford fight came up.

“It’s something that I’m definitely looking forward to and it’s something that I’m willing to work towards,” Spence said. “After I get past Ugas, it could be an easy fight to make. It just depends on stipulations between me and him. I’ll bend but I’m not going to break. I’ll take off my coat but I’m not going to give it to you. So, I think it could happen and I’m looking forward to that fight. I think it’s a legacy fight for him and myself.”

The fight with Ugas is the first for Spence (27-0, 21 KOs), 32, a southpaw, since suffering a detached retina in his left eye and subsequent surgery. It was found during a routine pre-fight medical exam less than two weeks before he was to defend against Pacquiao on Aug. 21 in Las Vegas.

Spence was forced out of the fight and Ugas (27-4, 12 KOs), 35, a Cuban defector fighting out of Miami, who was slated for his first defense in the co-feature but was in need of an opponent when Fabian Maidana was injured around the same time as Spence’s eye problem was discovered, instead moved into the main event to face Pacquiao in a match made on 11 days’ notice.

Ugas subsequently pulled the upset of the future hall of famer Pacquiao and that has vaulted him into this unification bout for Saturday night, where the stakes are equally as high for him, if he upsets Spence.

And, we will find out soon enough what happens to set one of the fighters up for the possible undisputed showdown with Crawford.