Two of the most talented fighters in boxing will clash for the lightweight title when Devin “The Dream” Haney defends his undisputed championship against Ukraine’s three-division world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko. The showdown is set for Saturday, May 20, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Devin Haney, a rising superstar in the sporting world, is bracing himself for a huge challenge against Vasiliy Lomachenko, one of the top fighters of his generation,” stated Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Both Haney and Loma are phenomenal boxers. This fight is bound to leave an indelible mark on boxing history.”
Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) is set to fight on home soil for the first time since his double victory against George Kambosos Jr. in Australia last year, which secured his undisputed championship. Aged just 24, Haney has forged a unique career path since going professional in Mexico in 2015 at 17. He debuted in the U.S. on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley III undercard at MGM Grand Garden Arena in 2016. After a fourth-round defeat of the previously undefeated Zaur Abdullaev, Haney was granted the WBC lightweight world championship. He successfully defended his title against undefeated challenger Alfredo Santiago and former world champions Yuriorkis Gamboa, Jorge Linares, and Joseph Diaz Jr. Last June, he established himself as the undisputed champion with a masterclass 12-round performance in Melbourne, cheered on by over 40,000 Kambosos fans.
“I have immense respect for Lomachenko, a great fighter and future Hall of Fame contender,” said Haney. “I acknowledge his contributions to boxing. Despite him not giving me a shot when I challenged him in 2019, I won’t hold a grudge. This is the fight that the fans have been waiting for, and I’m determined to deliver. I’ve improved significantly since the Kambosos rematch. The more formidable my opponent, the better I perform. I’m eager for this fight. Lomachenko’s boxing IQ is phenomenal, but I’m ready to prove on May 20 that I’m the world’s best fighter. I’m prepared to defend my undisputed title in a devastating fashion.”
Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs), a two-time Olympic gold medalist with a remarkable 396-1 amateur record, has won world titles across featherweight, junior lightweight, and lightweight categories. He defeated Jorge Linares for the WBA and Ring Magazine titles in the lightweight category, and took the WBO title from Jose Pedraza. He added the vacant WBC title to his collection with a 12-round victory over Luke Campbell in London. The 35-year-old lost his titles to Teofimo Lopez in a tight contest in October 2020, but bounced back with commanding wins over Masayoshi Nakatani and Richard Commey the following year. After nearly 11 months off serving with a territorial defense battalion in his native Ukraine, Lomachenko defeated unbeaten contender Jamaine Ortiz last October.
Lomachenko said, “I aspire to become the undisputed lightweight champion, and Devin Haney holds the belts. I admire his boxing IQ and am thrilled to take on this challenge.”
MOLONEY-NAKATANI AND ALI WALSH’S COMEBACK WILL BE LIVE ON ESPN AND ESPN+ AT 8 P.M. ET
A world title fight and Muhammad Ali’s grandson will be in the limelight on Saturday, May 20, as part of the ESPN-televised prelims to the PPV main event, where undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney defends his title against former king Vasiliy Lomachenko at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
At Wednesday’s press conference, this is what the fighters had to say:
Devin Haney
“I feel like he should have fought me four years ago. But now the time has come. It’s going to be worse for him than it would have been had we fought back then.”
“On paper, this is my toughest test. But I look to make it an easy night. I look to make it as easy as possible and come out victorious.”
“I have been calling for this fight for four years. But the time has finally come. I take my hat off to him. I respect everything that he’s done. I respect his decision to stay and defend his country. That gave me my shot to go to Australia, so it was only right that I give him the shot as well.”
“I know what he is preparing for. But at the end of the day, we’re prepared for whatever he brings to the table. If he wants to make it a dirty fight, we have answers for that.”
Vasiliy Lomachenko
“Camp was hard like always. But I was very motivating. It was motivating because I understand. It is my last chance to become undisputed. So, I pushed myself in every training session. And now there are just four days left.”
“He talks about the past, but It’s hard to say things about the past. You can’t change it. Even if you talk about it, you can’t change it. Only God can change it.”
“He is a high-level boxer. He understands boxing. He knows what he needs to do. He can use his reach. He can use his feet. He can create distance. But I have a lot of experience in this sport. It will be very interesting for me.”
Oscar Valdez
“I’m excited because it’s been one year since my last fight. I’m coming off a loss, so I’m motivated. It doesn’t matter if you lose. What matters is how you come back. I’m going to come back and make a statement.”
“This is the perfect time for the rematch. This is what I love to do. I love being in the gym. I love training. I love fighting. You’re going to see something different Saturday night.”
“Eddy Reynoso is a great trainer. We always work on a lot of things. One thing that is always clear for me is that he works on the defense.”
“That doesn’t mean we’re not going to be offensive. We’re always going to keep that defense ready so that we don’t have any surprises.”
Adam Lopez
“I’m surprised this rematch is happening. Oscar said he’d give me the rematch after our first fight. But it never happened. We went our separate ways. But it’s coming back full circle. I think it’s great that it’s happening on this card. It’s a huge fight. People wanted to see it. I’m excited for it.”
“I’m a different fighter now. He fought me when I was 23 years old with 15 fights. I’m 27 now with 21 fights. I’ve been in there with some of the best since the fight with him. I’ve taken some losses, but I have learned from them. I’ve always taken tough fights.”
“I’m at my best. I’m in the best shape of my life. It’s a different story this time. If he thinks this is a tune-up fight, then he’s going to have a long night.”
Raymond Muratalla
“I’m just ready to be a champ. This is nothing but hard work that we’ve been putting in. I can’t wait for Saturday. I’m trying to show people that I’m the next 135-pound champion.”
“I didn’t warm up like I usually do in my last fight. So, I got knocked down {in the first round}. But I got back up, and I got the stoppage.”
“I’m ready. I’m ready for anyone. To be the best, you have to go through these people. I’m just trying to get to the top. I’m going to take care of business this Saturday.”
Jeremia Nakathila
“I can’t wait for Saturday night to do my thing. I’m excited to be here. We are looking forward to making a statement.”
“The last time I was in Las Vegas you were all able to see what I displayed against Miguel Berchelt. This Saturday, you will see more than that. I saw that Muratalla wanted to fight me on social media. I saw him mention my name. But I want to say that he can’t handle what he called out.”
HANEY – LOMACHENKO CARD
Devin Haney vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko; For Haney’s IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO world lightweight titles
Juno Nakatani vs. Andrew Maloney; For the vacant WBO world super flyweight title
Raymond Muratalla vs. Jeremia Nakathila; Lightweight
Oscar Valdez vs. Adam Lopez; Super featherweight
