In a showdown between ex-world champs, San Antonio’s very own Mario “El Azteca” Barrios (28-2, 18 KOs) dropped Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas (27-6, 12 KOs) twice, clinching the Interim WBC Welterweight belt through a clear unanimous verdict (117-108, 118-107 on two cards) in the PPV undercard showcase.
Grinning ear to ear, Barrios shared, “Though I’m achy, I’m buzzing with thrill! Our training strategies really pulled through. I’ve always held Ugas in high regard. Post this fight, my respect for him has soared. Kudos to him for this gripping battle.”
Round two saw Barrios deliver the first fight-defining punch. With a powerful left, he caught a forward-moving Ugas off-guard, taking the ex-welterweight champ off his feet. Although Ugas bounced back rapidly, he struggled to outpace the agile Barrios.
Recalling the turning point, Barrios said, “That first flooring was a game changer. He got me good with a liver shot early on, which took some wind out of me. But after finding my groove with a swift jab, I began to turn up the heat.”
Despite the speed mismatch, Ugas fought hard, relying on intensified body shots and crisp right punches, aiming to control Barrios. Yet, Barrios’ relentless pace posed a challenge for Ugas. The stats? Barrios threw 810 against Ugas’ 484 and landed more first punches (107) than Ugas’s entire tally (101).
Ugas, showing signs of fatigue, had his right eye balloon up. This drew the attention of the ringside doctor not once, not twice, but thrice before the last trio of rounds! By the 12th, Barrios was in full throttle. He nailed a sharp counter left hook on Ugas’s ballooning eye, flooring him for the second time. In the midst of this final round chaos, Ugas’s mouth guard took a leap of faith twice, leading referee Tom Taylor to subtract a point just before the concluding bell. Victorious, Barrios is now setting his eyes on larger welterweight battles.
With ambition gleaming in his eyes, Barrios said, “I’m targeting the primary WBC belt. Obviously, there are some hurdles ahead. Once I’ve had a chat with my squad, we’ll chalk out the future strategy.”