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Haney defeats Norman to win the WBO welterweight title

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There have been many questions surrounding Devin Haney over the past 18 months, and on Saturday he answered each of them emphatically.

Haney (33-0, 15 KO) became a three-weight world champion in Riyad, Saudi Arabia, defeating Brian Norman Jr. (28-1, 22 KO) won the WBO welterweight title by unanimous decision. The judges scored the 147-pound title fight for Haney on scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 114-113. This was Haney’s first actual appearance at 147 pounds since his last appearance fought at the catchweight 144 pounds.

The victory marked a career resurgence of sorts for Haney, who has been grappling with questions about his ability to take a punch and avoid an elite left hook and whether he can effectively make weight since dropping three times in a majority decision loss to Ryan Garcia in April 2024. The defeat was later changed to a no-contest after Garcia tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug, but questions about Haney’s stamina and attitude remain unresolved.

“In 2024, I lost everything,” Haney said. “Everything collapsed on me. In 2025 I came to get it back. In 2026 I will come for everything.”

Not only has Miami’s Haney proven he’s willing to take a shot from arguably the hardest hitter in the division in Norman Jr., but he’s shown he’s also capable of challenging at this weight. In the second round, he knocked down Norman Jr. with a right hand. and never looked back. His jab led to Norman Jr. to a frenzy throughout the night, and many observers were surprised by his decision to be relentless in the pocket and effectively cut into the check.

Norman Jr., who put up a knockout of the year candidate against Jin Sasaki earlier this year, never quite caught up to Haney in terms of speed and control in the ring. He managed to have some minor success in the middle rounds in an attempt to force a more physical fight, but consistently had no answer to Haney’s jab. By the second round, his nose was badly bloody, and in the later rounds his left eye began to swell.

The victory opens up plenty of opportunities for Haney, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Monday. His father, Bill Haney, declined to name a potential fight immediately after the fight, but a rematch with Garcia would certainly be the most high-profile.

Garcia (24-2, 20 KO) has also moved up to welterweight since the Haney clash. In May, he lost to Rolando Romeroby by unanimous decision in the fight for the vacant WBA welterweight title. If Garcia won, he would likely set up a rematch with Haney.

“We welcome all comers,” Haney said. “[Welterweight] This is a weight class I’ve been meaning to be in for a long time. My dad had been telling me for a long time that I had to move. I’m here to stay at 147 pounds for a long time.”

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Sebastian Fundora vs Ermal Hadribeaj Live Results and Fight Updates

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"Sebastian Fundora vs Ermal Hadribeaj Live Results and Fight Updates"

Sebastian Fundora (25-1-1, 17 KOs) stopped Ermal Hadribeaj (23-1-1, 8 KOs) at 2:59 of the 12th round to retain his WBC junior middleweight title for the fourth time. Hadribeaj made the early rounds competitive by getting low, forcing his way inside and landing hard shots while denying the champion room to use his reach.

Short punches, uppercuts and a sustained body attack helped Fundora take control as he began outworking the challenger at close range. Referee Thomas Taylor deducted points from Hadribeaj for holding in the third and 11th rounds as the challenger increasingly tried to tie up the busier champion.

With just one second remaining, a left hand dropped Hadribeaj and brought the fight to an end after Fundora’s pressure and body punching had worn him down.

Super middleweight Armando Resendiz (17-3, 11 KOs) defeated Koen Mazoudier (16-5-1, 6 KOs) by a 10-round unanimous decision in a hard-fought fight. The judges scored it 98-92, 97-93 and 97-93, giving Resendiz a wider victory than the competitive action suggested.

Mazoudier kept coming forward and throwing, making Resendiz work at close range and enjoying success through the middle rounds. Resendiz answered with the heavier punches, hurting the Australian with right hands and left hooks as the two traded throughout.

A sustained attack in the final round left Mazoudier reeling and close to being stopped, but he survived and continued firing back until the bell. Resendiz earned his first victory since losing to Jaime Munguia, while Mazoudier made him fight for it in his U.S. debut.

Marco Romero (16-0, 14 KOs) stopped Braulio Matias Ferreira (8-4, 3 KOs) in the first round of their scheduled eight-round super middleweight fight. The 20-year-old Romero immediately pressed the attack, digging to the body and landing right hands upstairs at close range.

A right hand and left hook to the body helped set up a sweeping right to the chin that dropped Ferreira hard into the ropes. Ferreira beat the count, but he was in no condition to continue, prompting the referee to stop the fight. Romero gave the veteran little chance to settle, keeping him under attack throughout the brief contest. It was the Kansas prospect’s third consecutive first-round stoppage.

Super middleweight Jaime Enrique Osuna Diaz (12-0, 5 KOs) kept his unbeaten record with an eight-round majority decision over Cristian Cangelosi (13-1-1, 5 KOs). The judges scored the competitive bout 77-75, 77-75 and 76-76 on the Sebastian Fundora–Ermal Hadribeaj undercard.

Osuna applied pressure from the start, using his activity and body punching to make Cangelosi work. His best round came in the fifth, when he hurt Cangelosi twice with straight right hands but crowded his own punches while trying to finish.

Cangelosi fought back and had a strong seventh round, landing a big shot to keep the outcome in doubt heading into the eighth. Neither fighter scored a knockdown, with Osuna’s pressure and cleaner work in key stretches earning him the narrow victory.

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Tony Bellew Analyzes Daniel Dubois Knockout Victory Over Fabio Wardley in Rematch

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Tony Bellew Analyzes Daniel Dubois' Knockout Victory Over Fabio Wardley in Rematch

Daniel Dubois sent out a big statement to the rest of the heavyweight division after his knockout win over Fabio Wardley.

The two British heavyweights met at The O2 Arena on Saturday in one of the most anticipated rematches of the year, following on from their epic first battle back in May.

On that occasion, ‘DDD’ had to recover from two early knockdowns to earn the 11th round TKO win to become WBO heavyweight champion, but it was a much more dominant display from Dubois this time around.

The rematch saw ‘DDD’ drop Wardley inside the opening 20 seconds of the bout, before landing even more heavy shots over the next several minutes, forcing the referee to stop the action in the second round as Dubois retained his WBO heavyweight title.

Ahead of the bout, one man that was picking Wardley to cause the upset and be victorious was former WBC cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew, who felt that the Ipswich man was going to get the job done inside six rounds.

Bellew was happy to hold his hands up and admit he was wrong though, as he posted on social media to heap praise on Dubois for his triumph.

“Demolition! Well done to Daniel Dubois.”

Following his win, Dubois has already made it clear who he wants to target next, revealing in his post-fight interview that he wants to meet IBF champion Filip Hrgovic in a unification, in what would be a rematch after ‘DDD’ won their first encounter back in June 2024.

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Daniel Dubois Aims for Title Showdown After Stunning Wardley Knockout

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"Daniel Dubois Aims for Title Showdown After Stunning Wardley Knockout"

Daniel Dubois has wasted no time making his intentions known after his destructive win over Fabio Wardley in their rematch.

The pair went head-to-head at The O2 Arena in London, five months on from their first meeting when Dubois defeated Wardley by 11th round TKO to win the WBO heavyweight title.

It was a much quicker win this time around, with ‘DDD’ dropping Wardley inside the opening 20 seconds of the contest, before continuing the onslaught and earning the second round knockout victory to retain his WBO belt.

Dubois has already named his next target after his win, revealing in his post-fight press conference that he now wants a unification showdown with IBF champion Filip Hrgovic.

“I want to have a rematch with him and get that belt. I want to rule the division. Another win and another scalp. I’m the champion now and I want some big fights now.”

Dubois and Hrgovic have already met back in June 2024, claiming the eighth round stoppage win after the Croatian couldn’t continue due to cuts above both of his eyes.

‘DDD’ went on to become IBF champion after that fight, but he would go on to lose that title to Oleksandr Usyk. After the Ukrainian vacated his belt earlier this year, Hrgovic claimed it with his dramatic win over Moses Itauma in August.

It means Dubois and Hrgovic could now meet in a rematch in 2027, though Hrgovic may have to deal with mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez first, with that bout potentially taking place in Croatia early next year.

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