Devin Haney faces Ryan Garcia tonight in another great boxing match, albeit one dominated by controversy.

At Friday’s weigh-in, where Garcia drank a beer, he was 3.2 pounds over the 140-pound light welterweight limit and is therefore ineligible to challenge Haney’s WBC world title this weekend.

Haney, 25, is already one of boxing’s top pound-for-pound stars, the undisputed lightweight champion after defeating George Kambosos Jr. twice in Australia and then cementing his reign with a win over the great Vasiliy Lomachenko.

In December, Haney moved up to 140 pounds for the first time to challenge for Regis Prograis’ light welterweight belt and delivered another masterpiece, winning on all three judges’ scorecards by 120 to 107 to sensationally become world champion in two weight classes.

Haney holds the title and has an unblemished professional record of 31-0, but the American has largely flown under the radar leading up to this fight, with Garcia’s behavior in recent months drawing all the attention.

Garcia has spoken openly about his past mental health struggles and there have been growing concerns about his wellbeing following a series of disturbing social media posts. He has supported a number of conspiracy theories, claimed he has evidence of the existence of aliens and suggested he would bite Haney’s ears. He has also claimed he witnessed human trafficking and was sexually abused as a child.

There was speculation that the fight might be canceled. Garcia revealed that the New York State Athletic Commission had ordered him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

“Isn’t it my right to free speech guaranteed by the US Constitution?” he said in a now-deleted video.

“So me tweeting what I tweet is a prerequisite for a psychological evaluation? That’s odd. So you’re trying to violate my constitutional rights. Now I’m going to sue you. I’m even going to sue you for defamation.”

Despite the bizarre preparation and Garcia missing weight, the fight will go ahead and it will be the seventh time the two rivals have met in the ring after each winning three times as amateurs.

Garcia, who is fighting for a world title for the first time, comes into this fight as a huge underdog, having fought just once since losing to Gervonta Davis a year ago, a win over Oscar Duarte in December – a showdown with Haney represents a massive step forward.

Haney vs. Garcia – Date, start time, venue and ring tours

Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia will take place on Saturday, April 20, 2024 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The main event kicks off at 2am BST (British Standard Time) in the UK on Sunday morning. Haney and Garcia are expected to head to the ring at around 5am. Exact times are subject to change.

Full fight card/pre-card for Haney vs. Garcia

Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia

Arnold Barboza Jr. vs. Sean McComb

Bektemir Melikuziev against Pierre Dibombe

John Ramirez vs. David Jimenez

Charles Conwell vs Nathaniel Gallimore

How to watch Haney vs. Garcia

TV channels and live stream: Haney vs. Garcia will be broadcast live in the UK on pay-per-view by DAZN for £19.99.

Fans can also watch DAZN 1 HD on Sky channel 429.

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Prediction for Haney vs. Garcia

It’s hard to be optimistic about Garcia’s chances in this fight.

As amateurs, the two were evenly matched, but Haney has been a class better since turning pro and would be the favorite even if Garcia went into the fight with full concentration.

There are many doubts as to whether we will see that on Saturday night, as Garcia has the hand speed and power to trouble Haney at his best. He also faces questions about his mentality in the ring after being accused of giving up against Davis last year when he went to his knees and then couldn’t fight the count.

Haney may have been lucky to win on points against Lomachenko, but otherwise he was largely flawless on his way to becoming champion in two weight classes and has proven that he can deliver on the biggest stage.

He’s certainly not as explosive as Garcia, but Haney is technically excellent and looked as good as ever when he moved up to the 140-pound division for the first time to beat Prograis. His last eight wins have been on the line, but Haney has beaten Prograis, suggesting he will be strong at light welterweight.

Garcia’s path to victory will certainly be via a knockout, and it’s hard to imagine him winning on points, but we expect Haney to control the fight in his typically composed manner and defeat his rival in the 12 rounds.

Haney wins by unanimous decision.

Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia Weigh-In Results

As mentioned, Garcia was weighed behind closed doors on Friday before the ceremonial weigh-in and came in at 143.2 pounds, 3.2 pounds over the light welterweight limit.

Haney, meanwhile, weighed exactly the 140-pound mark.

Betting odds for Haney vs. Garcia

Devin Haney wins: 1/9

Ryan Garcia wins: 11/2

Draw: 20/1

Devin Haney wins on points or by decision: 13/10

Devin Haney wins by KO or technical KO: Evens

Ryan Garcia wins on points or by decision: 19/1

Ryan Garcia wins by KO or technical KO: 15/2

Odds via Betfair (subject to change).