Fight Week: Devin Haney, Regis Prograis set for 140-pound clash on Saturday
FIGHT WEEK
Regis Prograis is scheduled to defend his 140-pound title against former 135-pound champ Devin Haney on pay-per-view Saturday in San Francisco. On the same day, in Florida, Robeisy Ramirez will defend his 126-belt against Rafael Espinoza.
REGIS PROGRAIS (29-1, 24 KOs)
vs. DEVIN HANEY (30-0, 15 KOs)
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 9
- Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
- Where: Chase Center, San Francisco
- TV/Stream: Pay-per-view
- Division: Junior welterweight (140 pounds)
- At stake: Prograis’ WBC title
- Odds: Haney 3½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
- Also on the card: Liam Paro vs. Montana Love, junior welterweights; Andy Cruz vs. Jovanni Straffon, lightweights; Ebanie Bridges vs. Miyo Yoshida, bantamweights (for Bridges’ IBF title)
- Prediction: Haney UD
- Background: Haney will begin his quest to conquer a second division when he challenges the WBC 140-pound titleholder. The talented native of San Francisco collected all four major 135-pound titles and climbed onto some pound-for-pound lists with consecutive victories over Zaur Abdullaev, Alfredo Santiago, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Jorge Linares, Joseph Diaz Jr. and George Kambosos Jr. (twice) between 2019 and last year. Haney’s last fight at that weight was his defense against Vasiliy Lomachenko on May 20, when he won a unanimous, but disputed decision. He then made the decision to move up in weight. Prograis is a two-time 140-pound beltholder. The southpaw from New Orleans lost the WBA version when Josh Taylor defeated him by a majority decision in a title-unification bout in October 2019, the only setback of his career. He has won five consecutive fights since, including an 11th-round knockout of Jose Zepeda that earned him the WBC title and a split decision victory over Danielito Zorrilla this past June 17. Most observers thought he won that fight handily.
ROBEISY RAMIREZ (13-1, 8 KOs)
vs. RAFAEL ESPINOZA (21-0, 18 KOs)
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 9
- Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
- Where: Charles F. Dodge City Center, Pembroke Pines, Florida
- TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
- Division: Featherweight (126 pounds)
- At stake: Ramirez’s WBO title
- Odds: Ramirez 10-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
- Also on the card: Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Fortea, junior middleweights; Bruce Carringtom vs. Jason Sanchez, featherweights; Richard Torrez Jr. vs. Curtis Harper, heavyweights
- Prediction: Ramirez UD
- Background: Ramirez, the former two-time Olympic champion from Cuba, defeated Isaac Dogboe by a one-sided decision to win the vacant WBO 126-pound title this past April 1. He successfully defended his first major belt as a professional by stopping Satoshi Shimizu in five rounds on July 25. Ramirez went down and lost his pro debut to Adan Gonzales by a shocking split decision in August 2019 but he has won 13 consecutive fights since, including a shutout decision over Gonzales in a six-rounder in July 2020. He defeated Shakur Stevenson in the gold medal match in the 2016 Olympics. Espinoza is a power puncher who hasn’t fought outside his native Mexico since 2015 and has never faced an opponent anywhere near the ability of Ramirez. The native of Guadalajara has stopped his last five opponents, including Ally Mwerangi on July 15 in Mexico City. Espinoza is ranked No. 10 by the WBO.
ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK
FRIDAY
- Idalberto Umara vs. Fradimil Macayo, lightweights, Orlando, Florida (DAZN)
- Jesse Hart vs. Jeyson Minda, super middleweights, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (BXNGTV)
SATURDAY
- Brandon Benitez vs. Rigoberto Hermosillo, featherweights, Long Beach, California (Fox Deportes)
- Denzel Whitley vs. Kenny Larson, welterweights, Worcester, Massachusetts
(BXNGTV) - Andrew Moloney vs. Judy Flores, junior bantamweights, Albert Park, Australia (no TV in U.S.)
SUNDAY
- Chris Billam-Smith vs. Mateusz Masternak, cruiserweights (for Billam-Smith’s WBO title), Bournemouth, England (Peacock)