Yordenis Ugás wins split decision in long-awaited boxing comeback after nearly three years

June 9, 2026

Cuban boxer Yordenis Ugás (28-6, 12 KOs) returned to the ring on June 6, 2026, in Hermosillo, Mexico, winning a split decision over Mexican fighter Jesús "Bala" López (16-18-3, 4 KOs) in an eight-round super welterweight bout promoted by Bxstrs Promotions.

The judges' scorecards read 77-75 on two cards — one for each fighter — and 78-74 on the decisive card in favor of the former Cuban world champion. Ugás, who turns 40 in July, had been out of the ring since September 2023, when he lost a unanimous decision to Mario Barrios in an interim WBC welterweight title fight.

The performance, however, raised questions about the 39-year-old's current level. Ugás looked slow and lacked the sharpness that defined his best years. One judge scored the bout in favor of López, underscoring how competitive a fight that Ugás failed to control convincingly.

In his finest moments, Ugás produced unforgettable results: his 2021 upset of Manny Pacquiao — snatching the WBA welterweight title in front of 20,000 fans in Las Vegas — remains his defining night. Before that, he defeated Abel Ramos in 2020 to claim the WBA welterweight crown, becoming the first Cuban to win a world title at that weight in 45 years.

With his reputation and pedigree still intact, boxing analysts suggest Ugás could serve as a high-profile name opponent for emerging super welterweight contenders. But Ugás himself has made clear he is not ready to hang up his gloves.