WBC lightweight world titlist Devin Haney defends his belt against Jorge Linares on Saturday at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas (DAZN, 8 p.m. ET).
Haney (25-0, 15 KOs), 22, of San Francisco, California, is the younger, hungrier fighter. He won the WBC interim belt against Zaur Abdullaev in September 2019, but was then elevated to full champion when the organization named Vasiliy Lomachenko as its "franchise" champion. Haney has defended the belt twice with unanimous decision victories against Alfredo Santiago and Yuriorkis Gamboa, but doesn't yet have a signature victory in his record. A win over Linares could be the next step to show that he belongs in the conversation with the top 135 pounders in the division.
Linares (47-5, 29 KOs), 35, of Barinas, Venezuela, has slowed down, but his power is still there. He's a three-division champion and known as a combination fighter that can overwhelm opponents for 12 rounds. He has victories over Anthony Crolla (twice) and Luke Campbell. He also dropped Lomachenko in Round 6 of their fight in 2018, but eventually lost the bout to Lomachenko by 10th-round TKO.
Can Haney deal with the experience, power and hand speed of Linares and get the victory? Can Linares land his right hand against a good defensive fighter like Haney? We asked boxing experts for their insight and predictions.