Vasily Lomachenko has responded to the oddsmakers placing him as the underdog ahead of his fight against Devin Haney by stating, “I don’t care.” Lomachenko is set to challenge Haney for his undisputed lightweight championship this Saturday, May 20th on ESPN PPV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
This fight is a culmination of Lomachenko’s ten-year professional career, fighting for the undisputed championship. Lomachenko has expressed that this is his “last chance” to attain the title, as a loss could mean never having another shot against a four-belt champion.
When asked whether he was bothered by being labeled the underdog, Lomachenko responded confidently, “No, I’m not surprised. I understand why people are talking about the underdog from my side. I don’t care. I just want to prove who I am.”
Meanwhile, Haney’s plans post-fight are still unknown. Boxing promoter Bob Arum stated that if Haney wins or loses and Top Rank offers him a fight, which is better than another promoter’s fight on a separate platform, he’ll sign with them for that fight. Arum added that they don’t owe Haney a long-term contract and will only consider long-term contracts with starting out fighters. Unless Haney decides to breach their contract, he can decide to work with other promoters moving forward.
The odds for the fight are currently at a slight favorite for Haney. However, Arum believes that the fight is evenly matched, stating, “What are the odds now on the fight? Slight favorite. So it’s like an even fight. So people will bet with the way they think the outcome will go.”