Who wouldn’t want to emulate the legendary career of Floyd Mayweather? Former undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney surely does. After all, the former five-division champion went undefeated throughout his career and made over $1.2 billion on top of that. ‘The Dream’ is currently slated to square off against Brian Norman Jr. on November 22 at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, live on DAZN. 

In the buildup to the fight, Haney made it clear that he sees himself as a modern-day version of ‘Money’ Mayweather. Beyond their shared mastery of defensive boxing, the 26-year-old has even begun adopting some of the iconic catchphrases that made Mayweather a popular name. During his recent “Face Off” interview with Norman Jr., Haney dropped one of those trademark Mayweather lines. But the moment didn’t quite land the way he expected.

Brian Norman Jr. calls out Devin Haney for plagiarism

It has become somewhat of a ritual for DAZN to host “Face Off” interviews between fighters to build up interest for the events. The Haney vs. Norman Jr. fight for the latter’s WBO welterweight title is no different. As both men came face-to-face, joined by Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, insults, challenges, and promises of grandeur were thrown plentifully. But near the end of the interview, Norman Jr. claimed Haney doesn’t really have the power to hurt him.

This prompted Devin Haney to say, “You violate, ima demonstrate.” As soon as Haney uttered those words, Brian Norman Jr. realized he had heard the same words from a more successful boxer years ago. “Stop trying to act like Floyd [Mayweather]! You trying to steal quotes,” Norman Jr. responded. Haney, who wasn’t expecting that response, could only repeat the phrase again and again in response. But Norman Jr. wasn’t done. 

“I want y’all to play the tapes back when Floyd was saying everything this man is saying! You trying to steal Floyd’s whole flow,” he added before the pair got into further back-and-forth. That said, though, both men will have to back up their words come fight night. Haney, of course, is coming off his uneventful win over Jose Ramirez last May, which received plenty of criticism from the public for being boring. 

Norman Jr., on the other hand, ended the fight with Jin Sasaki in devastating fashion in June this year. But now the question is, when did Floyd Mayweather say, “You violate, ima demonstrate”?

Conor McGregor knows the quote from Floyd Mayweather quite well

Floyd Mayweather used a version of the phrase “You violate, I’ma demonstrate” during the 2017 press tour for his crossover boxing match against Conor McGregor. The incident occurred after McGregor made racially insensitive remarks and taunted Mayweather’s daughter, Iyanna ‘Yaya’ Mayweather, on stage in Brooklyn. 

Angered but composed, Mayweather told reporters, “He totally disrespected my family. He totally disrespected my daughter… Am I going to trip? No. I still have a job to do and I still have to remain humble and be professional.” Later, he added, “I believe that if you violate, we will demonstrate,” emphasizing his stance on respect. 

A year later, in 2018, Mayweather revisited the same line on Instagram while mocking McGregor over his legal troubles, writing, “You violate and I will demonstrate!!” The post reignited their rivalry, with McGregor responding mockingly online—a reminder that their rivalry didn’t end with the fight. 

Is it wrong for Haney to use Mayweather’s quote? Not at all. But Brian Norman Jr. smartly used it to win over the crowd. Still, when the bell rings, talk won’t matter—can he really outbox Haney?