Devin Haney and Jorge Linares are all set to trade blows tonight for the secondary WBC lightweight title at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
The pair get set to fight over a potential battle with the full and franchise title-holder Teofimo Lopez.
HANEY VS. LINARES RUNNING ORDER
First bell – 3.20 pm PT
4 x 3 mins Super-Welterweight contest
Amari Jones 153.6lbs vs. Jonathan Burrs 153lbs
6 x 2 mins Featherweight contest
Ramla Ali 124lbs vs. Mikayla Nebel 124.6lbs
6 x 3 mins Welterweight contest
Reshat Mati 145.8lbs vs. Ryan Pino 146.8lbs
LIVE ON DAZN FROM 5 PM PT/8 PM ET
4 x 3 mins Light-Heavyweight contest
Khalil Coe 176.2lbs vs. Nathaniel Tadd 179lbs
12 x 3 mins Final Eliminator for IBF World Super-Featherweight title
Martin J. Ward 129.6lbs vs. Azinga Fuzile 129.2lbs
10 x 3 mins vacant WBO NABO Middleweight title
Jason Quigley 159.4lbs vs. Shane Mosley Jr 160lbs
10 x 2 mins WBC World Super-Lightweight title
Chantelle Cameron 139.2lbs vs. Melissa Hernandez 136.2lbs
12 x 3 mins WBC World Lightweight title
Devin Haney 135lbs vs. Jorge Linares 134lbs
PRE-FIGHT QUOTES
Devin Haney (25-0 15 KOs)
“I’m happy he said this was the best training camp, and he’s in the best shape of his life. I want the best Jorge Linares, so when I win, there are no excuses, and the world knows he came in 100 percent.
“This is the time I’ve been waiting for; this is the moment and my time to shine against an incredible opponent finally. He thinks he can put up a good fight and win against me. This is a huge opportunity for me. This is time to show everything I’m made of.
“As Jorge said, this is a whole new level, but I’m ready for it. It’ll be a very dominant performance; I think the world will be surprised at what kind of performance it is. I think even Jorge will be surprised at what type of fighter I am.”
Bill Haney – trainer and father of Devin Haney
“As you know, we’ve always talked about getting Devin in that right fight that will catapult his career. We believe Jorge Linares is that guy. We’re thankful to Linares for stepping up and giving Devin that opportunity to once and for all show that he’s an elite fighter.
“We have an appreciation for Matchroom and how long you’ve been patient. We’ve both tried to get those names in the ring, finally now. On Saturday, we have that name in Jorge Linares. We hope that he comes and brings his all. We hope to have a healthy and very competitive Jorge Linares so Devin can actually show he’s an elite fighter.
“These are the kind of fights that bring out the best in a fighter. A young fighter like Devin with so much in his toolbox, arsenal full of different kinds of punches. It’s just a great opportunity. We want Jorge to come at his best and bring out those things to showcase to the people what a wonderful talent he is.
“You’ll see Devin make a statement. He’s ready for this moment. It’s a euphoric moment. Now we get a chance to be on the big stage, our home away from home in Vegas. We look forward to Saturday night. It’s going to be amazing.”
Jorge Linares (47-5 29 KOs)
“I’m very excited to be here in Vegas again, I’m next to the lightweight world champion Devin Haney, so this is a big opportunity of my life. I had a great training camp in Japan for a long time with my brother, but now I’m here. I’m very excited about Saturday night.
“I feel much better than before, against Kevin Mitchell, Anthony Crolla, Vasiliy Lomachenko. I think this is the best and more important training camp – a big opportunity in my life. I’m here for a couple more days.
“I’ve fought a lot of big fights, 52 fights, in England, USA, Latin America, this time I’ve come back to Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay. It’s an amazing fight against an amazing young champion. It’s so exciting to show everyone who I am, how much experience I have, and how good I feel.
“I respect Haney’s comments, thinking about after this fight, talking about Lopez and everyone in the lightweight division. Me too. I’m thinking about being a champion again and then fighting with the best in the division. There’s a lot of good opponents and champions. I need to be ready for that again.”
