Things got heated between Devin Haney (left) and Vasiliy Lomachenko (right) at their weigh-in. Devin Haney warns Sean O'Malley to remain in the cage and avoid boxing. MIKEY WILLIAMS/TOP RANK INC VIA GETTY IMAGES.
Devin Haney, the reigning lightweight champion in boxing, is aware of the attention and revenue his sport has received from the growing trend of crossover fights, but it doesn’t stop him from finding it amusing when MMA fighters wax poetic about how they might outmatch the best boxers in the sport.
Devin Haney, 24 is a professional American boxer from San Francisco, California, U.S. and he thinks that fighting a top boxer in a crossover bout would be a grave mistake for 29 year old UFC star Sean O’Malley who is an American professional mixed martial artist(MMA).
Following his greatest victory—winning the UFC bantamweight title from Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292— Sean O’Malley (17-1-0) demanded a rematch with Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs).
In addition to O’Malley’s latest calls, mixed martial arts competitors are regularly asking boxers to crossover fights.
In a non-title boxing bout this coming weekend in Saudi Arabia, WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury(33-0-1, 24 KOs) a British professional boxer and former UFC champion Francis Ngannou (17-3-0) a Cameroonian-French professional mixed martial artist will square off in the growing crossover boxing scene.
“I mean, obviously [I laugh when I hear it], because it’s totally different,” said Devin Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) in media reports..
“Whenever the MMA guys come over to boxing, it’s not good for them, and it’s never going to be good for them. And the same, I don’t disrespect the MMA guys because it’s just a different sport. I know that I can’t compete with those guys in the cage. But when it comes to the boxing ring, they can’t compete with me. So it’s just two totally different styles of fighting,” said Devin Haney.
Haney anticipated a one-sided demolition if he faced O’Malley, should they collide in the ring.
“It’s not the best thing for Sean O’Malley to get into a boxing ring with me,” he said.
“It’s just, it’s not. It won’t be competitive. It won’t be competitive. But I respect him in the cage, what he does in the cage. He’s a hell of a fighter in the cage. But when you step into that square circle, the boxing ring, it’s a totally different thing,” he added.
Edited by Judy J. Rotich and Newsdesk Manager
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