Haney vs Paro unification fight set for December 19

Devin Haney vs. Liam Paro is official for Dec. 19 at Chase Center in San Francisco.

The fight unifies Haney's WBO welterweight title with Paro's IBF welterweight title.

Haney, 33-0 (15 KOs), is a three-division champion from the Bay Area.

He last fought on Nov. 22, 2025, winning a unanimous decision over Brian Norman Jr.

Paro, 28-1, became a two-division world champion in June 2025 when he beat Lewis Crocker for the IBF belt.

The bout will stream on DAZN, Haney's new streaming home.

Former welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. will face former title challenger Abel Ramos in the co-main event.

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

Haney framed the fight as a homecoming.

"My resume speaks for itself," Haney said in a prepared statement.

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

He pointed to his 2022 trip to Australia, where he beat George Kambosos to become undisputed lightweight champion.

"I went to Australia, took George Kambosos' belts and became undisputed lightweight champion of the world," Haney said.

"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."

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

Paro enters as the underdog but has a history of winning on the road.

He shocked the boxing world in 2024 when he beat Subriel Matias in Puerto Rico to win the super lightweight crown.

"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."

"Champion versus champion, two belts on the line, in his backyard."

"I've never taken the easy road."

"I went to Puerto Rico and took the title off Matias in front of his own people."

"Devin's a great fighter and I respect that. 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."

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," duBoef said in a news release.

"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."

The fight came together after failed negotiations between Haney and unbeaten four-division champion Shakur Stevenson.

Paro had been in talks to fight on the Dec. 13 Erislandy Lara-Tim Tszyu junior middleweight title card in Australia before this deal was made.

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

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

"We made championship history at Chase Center at 140 pounds," Bill Haney said of Haney's 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 of Haney-Paro will hold two of the four major welterweight belts.

The welterweight division has a weight limit of 147 pounds.