Devin Haney Outpoints Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas Unification Fight
Devin Haney successfully unified lightweight titles on Saturday night in Las Vegas, outpointing Ryan Garcia by unanimous decision (117-111, 116-112, 115-113) at MGM Grand to retain his WBC championship while capturing Garcia's WBA belt in front of 16,800 passionate fans.
The 25-year-old from San Francisco controlled the majority of the fight with his superior boxing skills and ring IQ, consistently outmaneuvering Garcia's aggressive attacks while landing clean counter-punches throughout the 12-round contest. Haney's jab was particularly effective, keeping Garcia at distance and setting up numerous scoring combinations.
"I showed tonight that I'm the best lightweight in the world," Haney said during his post-fight interview. "Ryan came to fight, and I respect him for that, but my boxing skills and preparation were the difference. I want all the belts, and this is another step toward becoming undisputed champion."
Garcia started aggressively, using his hand speed and power to trouble Haney in the early rounds, but the champion's superior conditioning and tactical adjustments proved decisive as the fight progressed. Garcia's punch output decreased significantly in the middle rounds as Haney's consistent pressure and body work began to take their toll.
The fight's turning point came in the eighth round when Haney landed a thunderous left hook that staggered Garcia and sent him to the ropes. Although Garcia recovered quickly, Haney seized momentum and never relinquished control, winning the final four rounds on all three scorecards.
With the victory, Haney improves to 31-0 and positions himself as the division's premier fighter, holding two of the four major lightweight belts. His next target will likely be either Gervonta Davis or George Kambosos Jr. as he pursues undisputed status. For Garcia, the loss represents his second professional defeat and raises questions about his ability to compete at the very highest level of the lightweight division.
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