Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya placed a risky $20,000 bet on Devin Haney to win by knockout over Ryan Garcia in their upcoming boxing match.
So, Israel Adesanya’s gone all in. He’s placed a hefty, and some might say, risky bet on Devin Haney. This is all set to go down before Haney’s boxing match with Ryan Garcia on Saturday night.
Now, Adesanya backing Haney isn’t exactly a shocker. I mean, the odds are overwhelmingly in favor of Haney, who’s yet to taste defeat. At 25, he’s the favorite to beat Garcia, with odds as high as 8-to-1. But here’s the twist – Adesanya didn’t just back Haney for a win.
Nope. The ex-UFC middleweight champ has put down a cool $20,000. And that’s not on Haney just winning, but winning by a knockout over Garcia.
This is where it gets dicey. Haney’s not exactly known for his knockout power. In fact, it’s been a while since he finished an opponent – Antonio Moran, way back in 2019.
Since then? Nine wins, sure. But each one of them went to decision. This includes recent victories over Regis Prograis, Vasily Lomachenko, and George Kambosos Jr.
Haney’s career stats? Fifteen knockouts in 31 wins. But, here’s the catch – most of those knockouts were before he was a champ or faced top-level competition. He’s looking to flip that script this Saturday in Brooklyn, in a heated grudge match against Garcia.
If Haney delivers the knockout, Adesanya’s looking at a sweet $40,000 payout. But if not, well, he’s down $20,000. A high-stakes game, indeed.