Last night, Devin Haney retained his undisputed and Ring Magazine lightweight championship title in a tough fight against Vasiliy Lomachenko at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The highly-anticipated bout featured the younger, faster, and taller Haney against the more-experienced and accomplished Lomachenko. Despite a nervous start, Haney took control of the first two rounds with jabs and right hooks to the head and body.
Lomachenko rallied back in the middle rounds, landing lead left hands that momentarily stunned Haney in round eight and hurting him twice in round 11 with right hooks to the head and body. In the end, Haney’s attacks to the body and ability to stand his ground in the 12th round secured him a close unanimous decision victory.
The win marks Haney’s 30th victory, including 15 knockouts, and opens up many options for him as he recently became a promotional free agent after the conclusion of his three-fight deal with Top Rank. Lomachenko drops to 17-3, with 11 KOs, after last fighting in October 2022.
Francisco Salazar covered the fight for The Ring and can be reached at [email protected]