Haney vs Paro title unification fight set for December 19

Devin Haney will defend his WBO welterweight title against IBF champion Liam Paro in a two-belt unification bout on December 19 at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

Haney, 33-0 with 15 knockouts, is a three-division world champion from Oakland, California.

Paro, 28-1, is a two-division champion from Mackay, Queensland, Australia.

The fight pits a former undisputed lightweight champion against a southpaw who shocked the boxing world by taking Subriel Matias’ title in Puerto Rico in 2024.

“Champion versus champion, two belts on the line, in his backyard,” Paro said.

“I’ve never taken the easy road. I went to Puerto Rico and took the title off Matias in front of his own people.”

Paro made Australian boxing history in June 2026 when he beat Lewis Crocker for the IBF welterweight world title.

He joined Jeff Fenech and Danny Green as multiple-division world champions from Australia.

Now he faces the biggest test of his career against Haney, who has won world titles at lightweight, super lightweight and welterweight.

Haney is familiar to Australian audiences after he traveled Down Under in 2022 and won back-to-back fights against then lightweight champion George Kambosos at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.

“My resume speaks for itself,” Haney said.

“I’ve never been afraid to go into a champion’s backyard and put my record on the line.”

“I went to Australia, took George Kambosos’ belts, and became undisputed lightweight champion of the world.”

Haney framed the bout as a homecoming.

“Now I’m bringing another Australian world champion, Liam Paro, into my backyard,” he said.

“This time, I plan to take his belt and become a unified welterweight world champion right here at home.”

“Oakland is where my story started, and the Bay Area has always been part of who I am.”

Haney has been out of the ring since his November 22, 2025 unanimous decision victory over Brian Norman Jr.

He endured failed negotiations with unbeaten four-division champion Shakur Stevenson before selecting Paro.

Paro had been in talks to fight on the December 13 Erislandy Lara-Tim Tszyu junior middleweight title card in Australia.

Instead, he chose the unification bout in San Francisco.

Paro said he predicted the matchup three years ago.

“Three years ago, I was on the undercard at Chase Center the night Devin fought Regis Prograis,” Paro said.

“I said back then that Haney versus Paro rolls off the tongue. Now it’s here.”

The card will be streamed on DAZN, marking Haney’s first fight on the platform.

The co-main event features former welterweight titleholder Brian Norman Jr. against ex-title challenger Abel Ramos.

Unbeaten welterweight and 2024 U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson is also expected to appear on the card.

Top Rank President Todd duBoef praised the matchup.

“The historically prestigious welterweight division is heating up, and it all starts on Dec. 19 in San Francisco when Devin Haney and Liam Paro unify their titles,” he said.

“It is a pleasure to be reunited with Team Haney after orchestrating his successful bid for the undisputed lightweight championship in 2022.”

“Paro is no stranger to winning on the road, having broken the hearts of Puerto Rican fans when he upset Subriel Matias for his super lightweight crown.”

“This is a terrific matchup with massive stakes.”

Haney’s father-trainer-manager, Bill Haney, is targeting an undisputed welterweight reign.

Fellow champions Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez Jr. have negotiated their own unification fight for February 6, 2027 in Las Vegas.

“We made championship history at Chase Center at 140 pounds,” Bill Haney said of a title victory over former champion Regis Prograis.

“Now we’re returning at 147 for another opportunity to make history, looking to build on that success and deliver a memorable night of world-class boxing for the Bay Area.”

The winner moves halfway to undisputed at welterweight.

The IBF and WBO belts will be on the line.

The WBA and WBC titles are held by other champions.

Haney is unbeaten in 33 professional fights.

Paro has one loss on his record, a decision defeat to Yomar Alamo in 2019 that he later avenged.

Paro said he respects Haney’s skills but has upset odds before.

“Devin’s a great fighter and I respect that,” Paro said.

“But I’ve been the underdog plenty of times and I’ve made history before.”

“I’m coming to unify the division and make more history.”

The fight takes place on a Saturday night, December 19, 2026.

The venue is the Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors.

Haney last fought at the Chase Center in December 2023, when he stopped Regis Prograis to win the WBC super lightweight title.

Paro was on the undercard that night.

Haney grew up in Oakland, less than 20 miles from the venue.

The Bay Area has produced multiple world champions, including Andre Ward and Robert Guerrero.

Paro is attempting to become the first Australian to unify welterweight titles since Kostya Tszyu held the division’s top belts in the early 2000s.

The December 19 date places the fight in a crowded holiday boxing schedule.

The Lara-Tszyu card is December 13.

The Garcia-Lopez unification is February 6, 2027.

Haney-Paro is the only welterweight unification bout currently confirmed for late 2026.

Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster, with prices not yet announced.

The fight is expected to draw significant interest from the Bay Area’s large Filipino and Pacific Islander communities.

Paro has a significant Australian following and is expected to travel with a large support team.

Haney has not fought in the Bay Area since his professional debut in 2015.

He fought Kambosos in Melbourne, Australia in 2022 and Vasiliy Lomachenko in Las Vegas in 2023.

His most recent fight against Norman took place in Las Vegas.

The December 19 date ensures the winner will have a clear path to a potential undisputed fight in 2027.

Haney’s camp has expressed confidence in a victory.

Paro’s camp has pointed to his road-warrior mentality.

“I’ve never taken the easy road,” Paro said.

The fight represents the biggest test of Paro’s career.

It also represents Haney’s first defense of his WBO welterweight title.

Haney won the WBO belt by defeating Norman in November 2025.

Paro won the IBF belt by defeating Crocker in June 2026.

Both fighters are in their prime.

Haney is 27 years old.

Paro is 28 years old.

The welterweight division is widely considered the deepest in boxing.

Champions across the four sanctioning bodies include Haney, Paro, Garcia, and Lopez.

The winner of Haney-Paro will be in position to negotiate with the winner of Garcia-Lopez.

Bill Haney has already stated that goal publicly.

“We made championship history at Chase Center at 140 pounds,” he said.

“Now we’re returning at 147 for another opportunity to make history.”

The December 19 card will stream live on DAZN in the United States and internationally.

DAZN has been aggressively acquiring boxing content in 2026.

Haney’s move to DAZN represents a significant shift from his previous broadcast partners.

The fight is expected to be promoted by Top Rank, which has a working relationship with Haney’s team.

Top Rank also promotes several other fighters on the card.

The co-main event between Norman and Ramos adds depth to the card.

Norman is a former welterweight titleholder looking to rebound.

Ramos is a former title challenger seeking a second opportunity.

Tiger Johnson, the 2024 U.S. Olympian, represents the next generation of American boxing talent.

Johnson is unbeaten as a professional.

The card is designed to showcase both established champions and rising prospects.

Chase Center has a capacity of approximately 18,000 for boxing events.

The venue has hosted major boxing cards since opening in 2019.

Haney’s victory over Prograis at the same venue drew a crowd of over 15,000.

The Bay Area has a rich boxing history, producing champions like Ward, Guerrero, and now Haney.