In his second trip to the land Down Under, Devin Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) maintained his position at the top of the 135-pound division with a 12-round unanimous decision victory against George Kambosos (20-2, 10 KOs) on Sunday afternoon at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. “The Dream” retained the undisputed lightweight championship with scores of 119-109 and 118-110 2x.

Kambosos moved erratically in the opening rounds, switching to southpaw at times but always throwing his shots from the orthodox stance. Haney kept his eyes wide open to begin figuring out Kambosos’ movement and used his boxing skills to keep things under control. In the first fight, the jab had been an important weapon, but this time around, the right hand would prove to be just as essential.

Indeed, as the rounds progressed, Haney looked more comfortable and began landing his right hands. The numbers tell the story. According to CompuBox, Haney landed 114 out of 232 power shots, while Kambosos only landed 50 of 181.

Kambosos tried to increase his output in the eighth round, but Haney proved too slippery and accurate, leaving Kambosos a bloody mess in the following round, while Haney only had a minor cut above his right eye. The result of the rematch was the same as the first, but Haney clearly wanted to inflict more punishment.

Haney said, “I knew that he was looking for the jab. So, my team wanted me to show other tools in my arsenal. My dad {head trainer Bill Haney} wanted me to throw the hook more. But I feel that the right hand was what won me the fight tonight. When he first came out, I didn’t expect him to be switching. But I caught on to his timing and his angles, and I started to pick my shots more. Against a southpaw, the right hand is always on the money. That’s what happened.

“I should definitely be on the pound-for-pound rankings. In the first fight, they said that all I had was my jab. Today, I came in and showed them my right hand. I showed how versatile I am. I came to Australia not once, but twice. I beat this man twice in his hometown. I definitely deserve to be in the pound-for-pound rankings.

“He’s a warrior. I take my hat off to George Kambosos and all the Australian fans that came out. Thank you, guys, for giving me so much hospitality here. We take on all comers. No matter who it is, we want to fight the best fighters in the world. I believe I’m the best fighter in the world. Whoever is next, bring him on.”