NEW YORK -- On Sept. 13 two young, undefeated fighters will go head-to-head for a vacant WBC interim lightweight title. One of those fighters is Devin Haney, who many people believe will be a superstar in the near future. The other is Zaur Abdullaev, a Russian making his U.S. debut. The fight will air on DAZN and the winner will have earned his first world title, interim or otherwise.
The future certainly looks bright for the 20-year-old Haney (22-0, 14 KOs). He moves well in the ring and works behind a crisp jab. He likes to leave that lead hand low and throw the jab from his hip. Haney also has a strong right hand that he can throw straight of over the top. Along with that weapon he also has a solid left hook. Haney is also good defensively and his quick reflexes help him avoid too much punishment. He does have some bad habits though. The young fighter can get wild with his power punches at times and forgets about return fire, leaving his chin exposed. Just how good Haney becomes remains to be seen but so far so good.
Haney is still being brought along and hasn't really stepped up to the next echelon yet. He does have wins over fighters like Juan Carlos Burgos and Mason Menard and there should be plenty of big fights in his near future. That's because the lightweight division features the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko, Richard Commey, Teofimo Lopez, and now Gervonta 'Tank' Davis. A young fighter that's viewed as elite needs other elite opponents to prove that against so for now the lightweight division is a great place for Haney to be.
Abdullaev (11-0, 7 KOs) is a patient fighter with a good idea of what he wants to do in the ring. He works behind an excellent jab that he consistently sticks to the body of his opponents. Abdullaev also throws a good left hook to the body and he's always in position to do damage. The Russian's right hand isn't as skilled as his left though. He also doesn't use his legs very much and instead like to stay fairly stationary in front of his opponent while moving his head behind a high guard. Despite not using his legs much he is still able to avoid taking a ton of punches and always keeps himself protected.
This will be Abdullaev's U.S. debut. All of his previous 11 career fights have been in his native Russia. Fighting Haney will be the biggest opportunity of his career because a win against a rising star would certainly make U.S. fans take notice. His most notable win to date was a 2018 win over Henry Lundy. While Lundy is a tough test for anyone, especially a young fighter, he is older and doesn't bring the intangibles to the ring that Haney will.
This will be an important fight for both men. For Haney it will be an opportunity to capture his first world title, even if it is an interim one. An impressive win for him will also keep him high on the list of fighters who could become superstars. A win for Adbullaev could be career changing. Haney would be the flashiest win on his resume and people would really take notice if he beat a fighter who most view as a future star. Look for Haney to really use his legs in this fight in an attempt to make Abdullaev chase him. If Haney can stick and move all night while picking spots to sit down on his punches he will find plenty of success. Abdullaev isn't much of a mover but he will need to cut off the ring and focus on slowing Haney down with body shots. If he can do that he can start to open up more with his power punches.
PREDICTION: Zaur Abdullaev is a good fighter and he should give a better account of himself than many fans in the U.S. are expecting. Unfortunately for him though he will still lose this fight. Devin Haney is too quick and explosive and while he won't cruise to victory he will win this fight by the way of unanimous decision.
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| Haney, landing a hard right hand |
Haney is still being brought along and hasn't really stepped up to the next echelon yet. He does have wins over fighters like Juan Carlos Burgos and Mason Menard and there should be plenty of big fights in his near future. That's because the lightweight division features the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko, Richard Commey, Teofimo Lopez, and now Gervonta 'Tank' Davis. A young fighter that's viewed as elite needs other elite opponents to prove that against so for now the lightweight division is a great place for Haney to be.
Abdullaev (11-0, 7 KOs) is a patient fighter with a good idea of what he wants to do in the ring. He works behind an excellent jab that he consistently sticks to the body of his opponents. Abdullaev also throws a good left hook to the body and he's always in position to do damage. The Russian's right hand isn't as skilled as his left though. He also doesn't use his legs very much and instead like to stay fairly stationary in front of his opponent while moving his head behind a high guard. Despite not using his legs much he is still able to avoid taking a ton of punches and always keeps himself protected.
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| Abdullaev, having his hands raised in victory |
This will be an important fight for both men. For Haney it will be an opportunity to capture his first world title, even if it is an interim one. An impressive win for him will also keep him high on the list of fighters who could become superstars. A win for Adbullaev could be career changing. Haney would be the flashiest win on his resume and people would really take notice if he beat a fighter who most view as a future star. Look for Haney to really use his legs in this fight in an attempt to make Abdullaev chase him. If Haney can stick and move all night while picking spots to sit down on his punches he will find plenty of success. Abdullaev isn't much of a mover but he will need to cut off the ring and focus on slowing Haney down with body shots. If he can do that he can start to open up more with his power punches.
PREDICTION: Zaur Abdullaev is a good fighter and he should give a better account of himself than many fans in the U.S. are expecting. Unfortunately for him though he will still lose this fight. Devin Haney is too quick and explosive and while he won't cruise to victory he will win this fight by the way of unanimous decision.
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