Devin Haney Eyes Liam Paro in Dec. 19 Welterweight Unification

Devin Haney is finally getting back in the ring, and he's doing it with a second welterweight belt on the table. The 27-year-old is expected to defend his WBO title against IBF champ Liam Paro on December 19 at the Chase Center in San Francisco, in a two-belt unification scrap that marks his first outing under a new deal with DAZN.

It'll be Haney's first fight in just over a year. His last appearance was a unanimous decision over Brian Norman Jr. to grab the WBO strap, pushing his unbeaten record to 33-0. That 15-KO count tells you the story of a boxer who wins rounds rather than closes shows — a sharp, defensively tidy operator who's happy to bank a decision.

A Long Road Back

The gap wasn't by choice. Haney spent much of the layoff circling bigger names, with multiple negotiations collapsing along the way. The most recent casualty was a long-anticipated clash with Shakur Stevenson, which fell apart before it could get signed. Paro becomes the fight that actually materialized — and the one that keeps Haney moving toward undisputed status at 147.

Paro, 30, isn't a pushover on paper. He claimed the IBF title in June with a decision over Lewis Crocker, so this is champion versus champion, not a tune-up dressed up as a unification. That said, the betting market is expected to install him as a sizeable underdog against the more decorated and more experienced Haney.

What's at Stake

The math here is simple. A win hands Haney two of the four major welterweight belts and sets up a cleaner path to collecting the rest. For Paro, it's a chance to flip the script on a fighter with an unblemished ledger and announce himself as more than a quietly efficient titleholder.

Haney has said he wants to become undisputed at welterweight, and this is the next concrete step toward it. Beat Paro, and the conversation shifts to who holds the remaining hardware. Lose, and the 33-0 record — the thing that's defined his entire career — disappears in San Francisco.