Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia live updates: Odds, prediction ...

Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia will face-off in the ring Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, but it won't be the fight fans were expecting when the two signed on the dotted line. Garcia's mental state has been the biggest issue during the fight's promotion after the 25-year-old has increasingly shown that he's not in the right state of mind heading into one of the biggest fights of his young career.

Concern for Golden Boy Promotion's biggest star started to grow after the fight against Haney, the WBC super lightweight champion, was secured and Garcia began posting controversial and defamatory posts on social media. Garcia has been open about his mental health struggles in the past and even took a break from his pro boxing career to sort himself out.

Things came to a head at Friday's weigh-in when Garcia came in 3.2 pounds above the 140-pound limit. He had made a bet with Haney during Thursday's news conference in which he agreed to pay $500,000 for every pound he weighed in at above 140. That bet ended up costing Garcia $1.5 million dollars and Haney later tweeted that Garcia had honored the wager. Then, during the ceremonial weigh-in, Garcia appeared to chug a beer on the scale. He later tweeted, "Apple juice and sparkling water."

How that weight miss and Garcia's fragile mental state entering the now non-title fight affects the outcome is anyone's guess, but the two will indeed meet in the ring Saturday night. BetMGM has Haney as the heavy favorite at -650 with Garcia at +450.

Follow our live blog below for all the latest updates:

Super lightweight: Devin Haney (-650) vs. Ryan Garcia (+450)

Super lightweight: Arnold Barboza def. Sean McComb by split decision (92-98, 96-94, 97-93)

Super middleweight: Bektemir Melikuziev def. Pierre Dibombe by technical unanimous decision (79-73, 79-73, 78-74)

WBA interim super flyweight title: David Jimenez def. John Ramirez by unanimous decision (117-111, 117-111, 116-112)

Super welterweight: Charles Conwell def. Nathaniel Gallimore by TKO at 0:52 of R6

This is an interesting matchup in terms of physical attributes. Haney has an excellent southpaw jab, superior defense and ring generalship beyond his years. Garcia has the physical tools to win this fight, too. He’s got the height, reach, speed and power. At the very least, Garcia has a puncher’s chance to win this fight and score an upset. Will that happen? I don’t think so.

Garcia has been spending too much time on social media and not enough time preparing for one of the biggest fights of his life. Depending on how you look at it, the Davis bout was one of the most highly anticipated fights of 2023, albeit it a non-title fight. This upcoming battle against Haney is for a legitimate world title. Garcia has an opportunity to put himself in the record books, but it doesn’t seem that he cares. Win or lose, he stands to make more money in the long run as a content creator.

From a skills standpoint, Haney has a significant advantage over Garcia. He is one of the sharpest and most disciplined athletes in boxing. He is a master ring technician with precision punching and impressive footwork. Garcia is quick, but timing often beats speed when you leave your chin in the air, drop your hands and overextend with your punches, leaving you vulnerable for a counter shot.

The second round of the Davis fight was a perfect example. Garcia missed with the left hook, and Davis, an elite counterpuncher, floored him with a straight left hand. Haney doesn’t possess the power of Davis, but a champion of his caliber should win this fight handily. The animosity that Garcia has inoculated into this event may have mattered in promoting the fight, but will be immaterial once the bell rings.

I’m taking Haney to KO Garcia in the third round, but don’t be surprised if Garcia gets himself disqualified, either. - Ryan O'Hara