Former Featherweight Champion Jose Legra, The Puma of Baracoa, Dies in Madrid at 83
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Madrid, Spain (July 16th, 2026)– Cuban former two-time World Boxing Council World Featherweight Jose Legra Utria, known by his nicknames as ‘The Puma of Baracoa’ and ‘The Pocket Cassius Clay’, has passed away in Madrid, Spain, at the age of 83.
A native of Baracoa, Cuba, fled the island at the time of the Cuban Revolution and moved to Madrid, Spain, where he was trained by Kid Tunero (Evelio Mustelier) and became a citizen of Spain in 1966. Legra fought between 1960 and 1973, winning the World Boxing Council World Featherweight title twice in 1968 and again in 1972, compiling a career record of 129-11-4 with 49 knockouts.
Legra won the WBC title by decisioning Howard Winstone over 15 rounds in 1968, then lost it by 15-round decision to Johnny Famechon in 1969. Legra regained the WBC title by stopping Clemente Sanchez in the tenth round in December 1972, before losing the title to Eder Jofre by a 15-round majority decision in May 1973. After winning by coming off the deck to win a 10-round decision over Jimmy Bell in August 1973, a November 1973 TKO loss to future world champion Alexis Arguello in Nicaragua ended Legra’s career for good. Legra’s actual age may have been much older than reported, and his actual number of bouts was rumored to be inaccurate, in an era where record keeping and bout reporting were often imprecise in many countries, beyond what was reported to The Ring Record Book.
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