In the co-main event of Ring IV in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday night, Devin Haney(33-0, 15 KOs) became a three-division world champion when he defeated Brian Norman Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs) by unanimous decision to capture the WBO 147-pound title.
The judges scored the fight, 114-113, 117-110, 116-111.
The biggest question coming into this fight was whether Haney could handle Norman’s power, but it was Haney who showed off the power when he dropped Norman with a left hook in Round 2, which hurt Norman. He would get to his feet, but the damage was done.
Haney would bloody Norman’s nose and swell up his left eye, and it was clear by the end of the night that Haney would get the decision.
According to CompuBox, Haney was the more accurate fighter as he landed 70/271 punches, while Norman, who threw more, landed 59/399 punches.
At this stage, the 27-year-old Haney has proven to be an elite fighter. He fights anybody and everybody. Not many were running to fight the 25-year-old Norman; however, Haney ran to the fight and dominated.
“In 2024, I lost everything,” Haney said after the win. “Everything came crashing on me. In 2025, I came to get it back. In 2026, I’m coming for everything.”
What a difference a year makes!
What’s Next?
Ryan Garcia, who previously defeated Haney but had that result changed to a no-contest after testing positive for PEDs, is expected to fight Mario Barrios next in early 2026 for Barrios’ WBC 147-pound title. A Garcia victory could set up a highly anticipated rematch with Haney, which would be a unification fight.
Regarding Norman, he looked as if he was stuck in mud against Haney, but he’s still young, so he’ll have options going forward. It’s a disappointing loss for Norman, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Sunday.
Photo: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry
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