Devin Haney

Early life

Haney was born in San Francisco and lived in Oakland, California, as a child, but moved to Las Vegas with his father, Bill Haney, at the age of 14. He started boxing at the age of seven. Haney is a practicing Muslim.

Professional career

Lightweight

On February 2, 2018, Haney was scheduled to fight Harmonito Dela Torre in an eight-round opening bout. Dela Torre had problems obtaining a travel visa and subsequently withdrew from the fight. Unable to find an opponent, the date was scrapped.

On January 11, 2019, Haney defeated Xolisani Ndongeni on the way to a 10-round unanimous decision win.

On May 25, 2019, Haney defeated Antonio Moran via a seventh-round knockout, in his first match under the Matchroom banner.

On September 13, 2019, Haney defeated Zaur Abdullaev (11–0) to win the vacant WBC interim lightweight title.

In October 2019, Haney became the WBC lightweight champion as he was elevated, after the previous WBC lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko was promoted to "Franchise Champion" by the WBC.

On the undercard of KSI vs. Logan Paul II in November 2019, Haney made his first title defense against Alfredo Santiago (12–0), and won by unanimous decision. He injured his shoulder during the fight, requiring surgery that would keep him out until the summer of 2020. He maintained the title "champion in recess."

On October 2, 2020, it was revealed that Haney would make the second defense of his WBC lightweight title against veteran 39-year-old former featherweight title holder Yuriorkis Gamboa, on November 7, 2020. The bout was held at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, and was broadcast by DAZN. Most media members predicted an easy victory for the reigning champion, which was reflected in the betting odds as well, with most odds-makers having Haney as a -5000 favorite. Haney won the fight by a dominant unanimous decision, with two of the judges awarding him every single round of the fight, while the third judge scored it 118–109 in favor of Haney. Gamboa was deducted a point in the eleventh round for holding. Haney out-landed Gamboa 133 to 84 in total punches, and 82 to 63 in power punches landed.

In what was seen by many as Haney's toughest test of his career so far, Haney made the third defense of his WBC lightweight title against veteran 36-year-old former three-weight world champion Jorge Linares on May 29, 2021. He won by unanimous decision with the judges scoring the bout 116–112, 116–112, 115–113 in his favor. Haney controlled the action for most of the fight, but was hurt when Linares caught him with a powerful right-left combination toward the end of the tenth round. Haney survived the final two rounds largely by tying Linares up and negating his opponent's attempts at trying to engage with him. The crowd voiced their displeasure with what they perceived as excessive clinching by booing Haney when he jumped up on the ropes in celebration immediately after the final bell, as well as booing during the announcement of the official decision.

Super lightweight

On December 9, 2023, in an almost sold-out Chase Center in San Francisco, California, Haney moved up a weight class and challenged 35 year old Regis Prograis for the WBC super lightweight title.

Despite it being his first fight at super lightweight, Haney dominated Prograis from start to finish, winning every round on all three judges' scorecards and scoring a knockdown in the third round from a right hand. Haney staggered Prograis several more times in the middle rounds, but seemed reluctant to go for the finish and instead relied on his winning formula of attacking and retreating. Prograis, who received a cut over his nose and swelling around his eye, had no answers for Haney, landing just 36 punches to Haney's 129, according to CompuBox.

All three judges scored the fight 120–107 as Haney added another belt to become a two-weight world champion at the age of 25.

Haney vs Ryan Garcia was signed for April 20, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York, for the WBC super lightweight title. Two days before the fight, Garcia agreed to a wager with Haney that Garcia would pay $500,000 for every pound over the limit should he miss weight. Garcia weighed in over the limit at 143.2 lbs, making the fight a non-title fight and would forfeit up to $600,000 of his purse to Haney.

Haney was knocked down three times by Garcia during the 12 round contest, and lost via majority-decision. One judge scored the bout 112–112 but was overruled by scores of 114–110 and 115–109 for Garcia, who outlanded Haney 106–87 in total punches and 95–45 in power punches, according to CompuBox. On June 20, the bout was changed to a no contest, Garcia was fined $1.1 million and suspended for a year due to using Ostarine, after taking the plea deal over taking it to trial.

On June 24, 2024 it was announced that Devin Haney requested the WBC for "Champion in Recess" status. The WBC unanimously approved his request.

Welterweight

On January 4, 2025, it was reported that Haney would make his ring return on March 25, 2025. Adrien Broner was rumored as his possible opponent. Later the same month, it was announced that Haney would face José Ramírez in May. The fight took place in Times Square, New York, on 2 May 2025, with Haney winning by unanimous decision.

On June 25, Haney and then-undefeated WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. (28-0 (2 NC), 22 KOs) verbally agreed to a fight. A week prior, Norman secured a knockout victory in Japan against Jin Sasaki, successfully defending his title. Four days later, Tuki Alalshikh announced the fight headline a super card in Riyadh, later in the year. The card, billed as "Ring IV" was formally announced to take place on November 22, 2025. Norman expressed no surprise at Haney's selection of him as an opponent. He commended Haney's determination and resilience, noting that he never shied away from a challenge. Norman believed he would achieve a stoppage win, but he thought his ring IQ, technical skills, and other attributes were not fully appreciated. He was prepared to display his abilities on a significant platform. A confrontation occurred on July 12 in New York, involving Haney's security guard, referred to as Big Tank. During the incident, Big Tank perceived Norman to be too close to Haney and grabbed his shirt, resulting in a rip. Norman then executed a hip toss on Big Tank using one arm. Video footage of the incident later circulated on social media. Haney expressed that he was not worried about Norman's recent series of stoppage victories. He indicated that Norman had not competed against opponents of the same caliber as those he had faced. In August, the WBO placed Haney at #1 in their welterweight rankings, which meant that Norman's defense would count as a mandatory defense. Bill Haney had long predicted that 147 pounds would be the ideal weight for his son. Haney was also surprised at how long he managed to stay at lightweight. Brian Norman Sr. and Bill Haney had an intense verbal confrontation during the last press conference. During the face off, Norman Jr. appeared calm and composed, while Haney displayed a more animated demeanor. Norman weighed 146 pounds and Haney came in at 146.6 pounds.

On November 22 at the anb Arena in Riyadh, Haney defeated Norman via unanimous decision to capture the WBO welterweight title. From the first round on, Haney came out more aggressively than expected, forcing Norman on the back foot. Midway through the second round, Haney stunned Norman with a left hook, which he followed with a right cross that dropped Norman and severely damaged his nose. Haney maintained this aggressive pace for the next several rounds, with a tentative Norman struggling to close the distance and land anything meaningful. The second half of the fight saw Norman finding more success as Haney took his foot off of the gas, but the last two rounds saw Haney retake control as a badly fatigued Norman started to smother his own shots. In the end, Haney won by scores of 114-113, 117-110, and 116-111, becoming a three-division world champion and handing Norman his first loss. CompuBox showed that Haney landed 70 of 271 punches thrown (26%) and Norman landed only 59 of his 399 (15%).

Boxing style

Haney is an out-boxer whose style is not built on raw power but outmanoeuvres, frustrates, and systematically breaks down opponents. His defense is a cornerstone, featuring impressive head movement, a Philly Shell against orthodox boxers, a high guard against southpaw fighters, and exceptional distance management. He uses his 71-inch reach to keep opponents at bay and avoids nearly half of all punches thrown at him.

He excels at turning defense into offense by using precise timing to capitalize on opponents' mistakes. He often baits them into committing before landing accurate counter-shots. His agile footwork allows him to control the pace and location of the fight. He constantly moves, creates angles, and pivots to evade attacks and land from advantageous positions.

He is a strategic fighter who studies opponents, formulates specific game plans, and can adjust his tactics mid-fight. He maintains composure under pressure. His primary tools are a sharp and accurate jab (used to control distance and set up combinations) and effective body punching to wear opponents down over the rounds.

Personal life

Leena Sayed welcomed their daughter, Khrome Iman Haney, on January 8, 2025.

In early July 2025, it was reported by TMZ that Leena Sayed, the mother of Haney's five-month-old daughter, Khrome, initiated proceedings for a restraining order in Nevada against Haney. According to TMZ, a judge issued a temporary order of protection on Monday, and both parties are scheduled to appear in court on July 22. The judge has also determined that Haney is not permitted to visit his daughter until the court date. A principal allegation asserted that in December 2024, Haney allegedly physically pushed her during a period when she was nine months pregnant, subsequent to her refusal to surrender her cell phone. This incident, alongside additional claims of abuse, constituted the foundation of her legal proceedings. In response, Haney’s legal representatives categorically rejected the abuse allegations, characterizing them as unfounded. In August 2025, Haney initiated a separate legal action against Sayed, alleging extortion and asserting that she threatened to harm his reputation and his visitation rights concerning their daughter, Khrome. Additionally, he brought a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress, seeking damages for what he asserted is malicious conduct. Sayed's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, stated that his client was only seeking what the law mandates Haney to pay for child support.

Titles in boxing

Major world titles

WBA (Super) lightweight champion (135 lbs)

WBC lightweight champion (135 lbs) (2x)

IBF lightweight champion (135 lbs)

WBO lightweight champion (135 lbs)

WBC light welterweight champion (140 lbs)

WBO welterweight champion (147 lbs)

The Ring magazine titles

The Ring lightweight champion (135 lbs)

Interim world titles

WBC interim lightweight champion (135 lbs)

Minor world titles

WBC Youth lightweight champion (135 lbs)

Regional/International titles

WBA International lightweight champion (135 lbs)

WBC International lightweight champion (135 lbs)

USBA lightweight champion (135 lbs)

IBF North American lightweight champion (135 lbs)

WBO Inter-Continental lightweight champion (135 lbs)

Undisputed titles

Undisputed lightweight champion (135 lbs)