Haney vs. Paro unification fight is a tough PPV sell

Devin Haney vs. Liam Paro Confirmed for December 19 at Chase Center.

Devin Haney and Liam Paro will unify the WBO and IBF welterweight titles on Saturday, December 19, 2026, at Chase Center in San Francisco.

The November 5 announcement brings together WBO champion Haney (33-0, 15 KOs) and IBF titleholder Paro (28-1, 16 KOs).

Former champion Brian Norman Jr. faces Abel Ramos in the 10-round welterweight co-feature.

The two announced matchups and two additional fights will stream on DAZN PPV beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

Top Rank and Devin Haney Promotions will promote the event in association with No Limit Boxing and TGB Promotions.

Ticket information has not yet been announced.

The confirmation follows FightBook MMA’s October report on the proposed Haney–Paro matchup.

The winner will hold two welterweight world titles, taking another step toward undisputed status rather than becoming undisputed champion through this fight alone.

Haney returns to the arena where he defeated Regis Prograis in December 2023 to become a two-division world champion.

He now arrives as a three-division titleholder after dropping and outpointing Norman in November 2025 to claim the WBO welterweight championship.

His rise began with an interim lightweight title victory over Zaur Abdullaev in 2019 before his elevation to full champion later that year.

After four defenses, Haney traveled to Australia twice in 2022, defeating George Kambosos Jr. to become undisputed champion and then retain the belts.

He subsequently beat Vasiliy Lomachenko in May 2023 before moving up to face Prograis.

His April 2024 decision loss to Ryan Garcia was overturned to a no contest, and he returned with a victory over Jose Ramirez in May 2025 before winning his third divisional title against Norman.

This time, Haney will welcome an Australian champion to the Bay Area.

“My resume speaks for itself. 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. Now I’m bringing another Australian world champion, Liam Paro, into my backyard. This time, I plan to take his belt and become a unified welterweight world champion right here at home,” Haney said.

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

“The Valkyries just brought a championship to Chase Center, and on December 19, I plan to keep that championship energy going. I made history in Australia. Now it’s time to make history at home.”

Paro (28-1, 16 KOs) has his own history of winning in the other man’s building.

The Mackay, Australia, native went to Puerto Rico in June 2024 and outpointed Subriel Matias for a super lightweight title, then returned that December and lost it by split decision to Richardson Hitchins in his first defense.

He moved to welterweight the following year, stopped Jonathan Navarro after five rounds and outpointed the unbeaten David Papot.

In June he handed Lewis Crocker his first defeat by unanimous decision in Brisbane to win the IBF belt and become a two-division champion.

“Three years ago, I was on the canvas, and now I’m a unified world champion,” Paro said in a statement.

Despite the pedigree on paper, the fight faces a tough PPV sell.

DAZN PPV events require a separate purchase on top of the monthly subscription, which creates a higher barrier for casual fans.

Haney, while undefeated on record, has not produced blockbuster pay-per-view numbers in previous bouts outside of his lightweight run.

Paro, though a champion, is not a household name in the United States.

The co-feature between Norman and Ramos, while competitive, lacks the star power that typically drives PPV buys.

Boxing industry observers have noted that the December 19 date places the card in a crowded holiday sports window, competing with NFL and college basketball programming.

Top Rank President Todd duBoef framed the fight as part of a larger welterweight revival.

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