Haney vs. Paro welterweight unification set for December 19

Devin Haney-Liam Paro official for Dec. 19 in San Francisco.

Devin Haney has a new streaming home, and his first welterweight title defense for DAZN will come at home.

Haney, an unbeaten three-division champion from the Bay Area, will risk his WBO belt against another new 147lbs titlist, Liam Paro of Australia.

The fight is set for San Francisco’s Chase Center on Dec. 19.

Former welterweight titleholder Brian Norman Jr. will fight ex-welterweight title challenger Abel Ramos in the co-main event.

The card is also expected to include unbeaten welterweight and 2024 U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson.

Haney, 33-0 with 15 knockouts, released a prepared statement about the matchup.

“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.”

He pointed to his 2022 trip to Australia, where he beat George Kambosos Jr. 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.”

Haney said he plans to take Paro’s belt and become a unified welterweight world champion.

“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, 27, has been out of the ring since his Nov. 22, 2025 unanimous decision victory over Norman.

That win came 12 months before this fight will take place.

Between fights, Haney endured failed negotiations with unbeaten four-division champion Shakur Stevenson.

Those talks fell apart, and Haney’s team pivoted to IBF belt holder Paro.

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

Instead, he will headline his own event in San Francisco.

Top Rank President Todd duBoef released a statement welcoming 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.

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

duBoef acknowledged Paro’s credentials as a road warrior.

“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,” duBoef said.

“This is a terrific matchup with massive stakes.”

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

He noted that fellow champions Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez Jr. have negotiated their own unification fight for Feb. 6, 2027 in Las Vegas.

That fight would create a potential path for the winner of Haney-Paro to face the winner of Garcia-Lopez.

“We made championship history at Chase Center at 140 pounds,” Bill Haney said, referring to 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.”

Liam Paro, 28-1, made Australian boxing history in June 2026 when he beat Lewis Crocker for the IBF welterweight world title.

With that win, Paro joined Jeff Fenech and Danny Green as multiple-division world champions from Australia.

Paro shocked the boxing world in 2024 when he beat Subriel Matias in Puerto Rico for the super lightweight title.

Now the fearless southpaw is plotting another overseas raid.

Paro recalled being on the undercard at Chase Center three years ago when Haney fought Prograis.

“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,” 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.”

“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,” Paro said.

Haney is familiar to Australian audiences after his two fights against Kambosos in 2022.

He traveled to Melbourne, Australia and won back-to-back blockbusters against the then lightweight king.

Haney took all the lightweight belts from Kambosos at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.

Now he vows to break the heart of another Australian world champion.

The IBF and WBO welterweight titles will both be on the line.

The winner moves halfway to undisputed at welterweight.

A full undisputed championship would require the winner to also claim the WBA and WBC belts.

Those belts are currently held by other champions in the division.

The welterweight division has historically been one of boxing’s most glamorous weight classes.

Past champions include Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali (as a welterweight), Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Pernell Whitaker, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

The Dec. 19 date places the fight just before the Christmas holiday.

Chase Center is the home arena of the Golden State Warriors of the NBA.

The venue opened in 2019 and has hosted several major boxing events.

Haney fought there previously against Prograis in December 2023.

That night, Haney won a unanimous decision to claim the WBC super lightweight title.

Paro was on the undercard of that event.

The Dec. 19 card will be broadcast on DAZN in the United States.

DAZN is a sports streaming service that has become a major player in boxing broadcasting.

The fight represents Haney’s first bout under a new deal with DAZN.

For Paro, the fight is the biggest of his career and one of the most significant for an Australian boxer in recent memory.

Australian boxing has produced several world champions in recent years, including Kambosos, Tim Tszyu and Paro.

Tszyu is scheduled to fight Lara on Dec. 13 in Australia.

The Haney-Paro winner could face the Garcia-Lopez winner later in 2027.

Garcia and Lopez have been in negotiations for their own unification bout.

That fight is targeted for Feb. 6, 2027 in Las Vegas.

A victory for Haney would continue his rise through the weight classes.

He started his career as a lightweight, moved to super lightweight and now competes at welterweight.

Haney became the undisputed lightweight champion in 2022 by beating Kambosos.

He successfully defended those titles against Kambosos in a rematch and against Vasiliy Lomachenko.

Haney then moved to super lightweight and beat Prograis for the WBC title.

He later vacated that belt and moved up to welterweight.

At welterweight, Haney beat Norman for the WBO title in November 2025.

Paro’s path to this fight has been different.