Haney gets long-awaited marquee match
WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney is finally getting a big fight.
Haney (26-0, 15 knockouts), a Las Vegan born in the Bay Area, will defend his crown Dec. 4 against former two-division world champion Joseph Diaz Jr. (32-1-1, 15 KOS) at MGM Grand Garden. Matchroom Boxing is leading the promotion and announced the fight Wednesday. Diaz is promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.
Diaz marks the toughest test for Haney, who long sought a fight against a marquee opponent as he aims to complete the fourth defense of the title he claimed in 2019.
“I was born to be great, so these are the moments I get up for,” the 22-year-old Haney said in a statement. “I learned a lot from my last fight. It made me a more dangerous fighter. You guys can expect a ton of excitement and explosion in this fight!”
Haney last fought former three-division champion Jorge Linares in May at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena. He won by unanimous decision, but was buzzed by Linares in the 10th round and was rather unimpressive in the 11th and 12th rounds while he recovered.
Diaz, 28, is a former titlist at 126 and 130 pounds, and will fight for the second time in the 135-pound division. He captured the WBC’S interim title in July with a unanimous decision over Javier Fortuna. He was originally slated to fight fellow Golden Boy star Ryan Garcia.
But Garcia sustained a wrist injury and was forced to withdraw from the fight.
Haney and Diaz have spent several months trading barbs on social media, setting the stage for another compelling fight in the lightweight division.
“I’m always daring to be great, that’s what I want to be known for during my career: taking on the toughest challenges,” Diaz said in a statement. “I know I will rise to the occasion and showcase to the world the kind of fighter I am on December 4. I am going to give Haney the ass whooping he deserves.”
Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Bysamgordon on Twitter.