Winning and losing is a part of the sporting culture. However, in combat sports, mostly boxing, athletes are afraid to lose even a single fight. In a recent podcast, undisputed boxing lightweight champion Devin Haney emphasized the importance of learning from MMA fighters and accepting defeat as he took a jibe at Floyd Mayweather.

Devin Haney has acquired an amazing record at the age of 24. He is undefeated and is currently on a 29-win streak. Haney is now gearing up for his next fight against multiple-time champion, Vasiliy Lomachenko, on May 20th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Devin Haney lauds Israel Adesanya and urges boxers to learn from MMA fighters

During his appearance on ‘The Pivot Podcast’, Devin Haney mentioned how boxers try padding their records and hate losing. The undisputed champion said, “[In] the UFC, those guys fight each other, lose, fight again, and [are] still equally as big, may even be bigger after a loss.” He took the example of Israel Adesanya, who became a bigger sensation after coming back from his loss and defeating Alex Pereira. Haney added, “Look at Israel Adesanya. He lost, came back, won, and is even bigger than he was before.” The 24-year-old boxer respects Adesanya for probing himself after a devastating loss.

Haney then turned his attention to Floyd Mayweather’s career in boxing. He had all the respect for ‘Money’ for making the sport of boxing bigger than it was before. However, there was one thing that Haney didn’t like about Mayweather. He said, “He [Mayweather] kind of messed up the game with the undefeated record, and undefeated is everything. So guys don’t wanna fight each other. They wanna keep their 0.”

But what exactly did the boxer mean when he meant Floyd messed up the game?

The problem with Floyd Mayweather’s record

Floyd Mayweather is undeniably one of boxing’s greatest icons. His undefeated record is still considered one of the most impressive feats ever achieved by a combat athlete. However, his 50-0 record is often the subject of criticism. He discourages other fighters from competing against opponents who could make life difficult for them in the squared circle. This leads to a lack of excitement in the sport.

In the boxing world, there is a debate that prevails over Mayweather that Haney highlights in his criticism. There is a perception that undefeated fighters are reluctant to take risks to preserve their undefeated stature.

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Many fans and critics agree with Devin Haney that competitive matchups should be emphasized, as should the willingness to take on challenging opponents. What do you think?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.

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