George Kambosos Vs. Devin Haney: Odds, Records, Prediction

When George Kambosos was set to face Teofimo Lopez for three of the 135-pound world titles, he was a 6/1 underdog before pulling off one of the biggest upsets of 2021. On Saturday night, Kambosos will defend his unified lightweight titles for the first time. And against Devin Haney, Kambosos is taking one of the most difficult opponents he can find. In fact, Kambosos is once again the underdog. Here’s everything you need to know about George Kambosos vs. Devin Haney, including the odds, their records and a prediction on who will win.

Although not many observers gave Kambosos a chance to beat Lopez, he surprised most of the boxing world by out-boxing Lopez and badly hurting him. He was simply tougher than most people expected.

Kambosos, who calls himself the emperor of the division, also wants the biggest fights he can get. He originally was supposed to face former No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Vasiliy Lomachenko (who’s still No. 6 on my list), but Lomachenko backed out because of the war in his home country of Ukraine. In stepped Haney, who holds the only lightweight title Kambosos doesn’t have.

Though Haney is an undefeated fighter and a legitimate belt-holder, that certainly didn’t scare off Kambosos from taking on another big challenge.

“I could’ve fought anyone. I could’ve fought the garbageman outside if I wanted to, but I chose you. You’re not my mandatory. I picked you,” Kambosos told Haney during a press conference this week.

“I had to go through every bit of adversity. I had to earn my belts, earned them the hardest way. Not like this guy. He got given a present. I earned mine. I took the best out. It is great to be back home, great to have the support. I know that stadium will be buzzing with my support, but I just love to fight. Me and him in there, in that ring. It’s a great moment for Australian boxing, and I am very excited.”

Haney never actually won his belt in the ring. He was elevated to title-holder after a sanctioning body declared Lomachenko the franchise champion. Yes, Haney has defended that belt four times, but that hasn’t stopped Kambosos and Lopez from declaring him a paper/email champion.

But make no mistake. Haney is one of the best lightweights in the world, and it would not be a surprise to see him take all of Kambosos’ championship hardware.

“There’s nothing he can do in the ring that’s better than me, and I will show it on fight night,” Haney said. “I take nothing away from him. I think that he’s a good fighter, but I just think I’m on a whole different level.”

Lopez, for what it’s worth, felt the same way.

Here’s more info on the George Kambosos vs. Devin Haney showdown that U.S. viewers can watch on ESPN or ESPN+ beginning at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday.

George Kambosos vs. Devin Haney odds

This is basically a pick ‘em fight, and it’s only gotten tighter. Haney is a -154 favorite (bet $154 to win $100), while Kambosos is a +125 underdog (earn $125 on a $100 wager). Considering Haney was -189 and Kambosos was +145 when the fight was first announced, more money has come in on Kambosos. I think this fight will go all 12 rounds, and I think there’s plenty of value on taking Kambosos to win by decision at +240. I also wouldn’t mind terribly if you put a little something on the +850 you’d get for Kambosos to win by split decision.

If you were looking for a fun parlay for this weekend’s action of boxing (and this is only for entertainment purposes), I might take Kambosos to beat Haney at +125, Stephen Fulton to beat Danny Roman by decision at -250, and David Morrell to knock out Kalvin Henderson at +600. That would pay you $267 on a $100 wager.

George Kambosos vs. Devin Haney records

Despite his undefeated record, Kambosos (20-0, 10 KOs) has been an underdog in his last three fights (including his close victory vs. Lee Selby in 2020). He’s also won his last three fights by split decision, so he’s certainly walked a tightrope lately. But his last two victories have been the two best of his career, giving Kambosos fantastic career momentum.

We’re still waiting on Haney’s signature victory, but that’s something that could happen this weekend. Until now, Haney (27-0, 15 KOs) has performed well against former titlists like Jorge Linares and Yuriorkis Gamboa, and he looked good in his last fight against JoJo Diaz. But Haney, despite his massive talent, also has been criticized for some fairly mundane performances. He can’t do that vs. Kambosos and expect to win.

George Kambosos vs. Devin Haney prediction

I predicted Kambosos to get knocked out in the fifth round against Lopez. Obviously, that was a terrible prediction. I’m leaning toward Kambosos falling short again against another elite opponent, but boy, I’d look like an idiot if Kambosos proved me wrong again. So, I’ll go with Kambosos. He has the ability to hurt A-list fighters (and Haney has been buzzed in the past), and fighting in his home country of Australia is going to provide a tremendous boost for Kambosos. I’ll pick him to win by decision, somewhere in the 115-113 range.