I fought Vasyl Lomachenko, sparred Gervonta Davis and am now taking on Ryan Garcia, but El Nino de Oro hit me hardest

Devin Haney is well known for his elite defensive talents.

The young American is already a two-weight world champion at age 25, and currently holds an unbeaten record of 31-0.

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As such, he is not often hit clean.

In his last fight against Regis Prograis, Haney coasted to victory, outboxing the veteran champion and emerging with a clean face afterwards.

Vasyl Lomachenko had success against Haney earlier in 2023 and landed more than most do against him, but ultimately was beaten by a close unanimous decision.

The 25-year-old also has a history of sparring top fighters as he's shared the ring with Gervonta Davis - often branded a modern Mike Tyson - in the gym before, and also faced his next opponent Ryan Garcia in the amateurs several times.

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However, there is one fighter who caught Haney clean back in 2021, and he's never forgotten it.

When asked who's hit him the hardest to date, he initially told talkSPORT.com: "I don't know, that's a good question.

"That's something I'd have to - you'd have to give me more time to think about it."

However, after a brief pause, Haney came out with the answer: "Maybe Jorge Linares.

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"I'd have to say Linares, because that was the only time that I've been hurt. So yeah, it's Linares."

Linares is of course a respected champion in his own right.

The former three-weight king was once a dominant force at lightweight before being dethroned by Lomachenko in 2018.

By the time he faced Haney three years later, he was admittedly past his best, but showed he still carried enough power to pose a threat.

In round 10, with the champion well ahead on the cards, Linares landed a huge clean right hand which hurt him.

Haney was briefly staggered and arguably saved by the bell as he wobbled back to his corner.

For the remaining two rounds, he didn't appear to fully recover and frequently clinched to see out the victory.

To this day, Haney insists this is the hardest he's ever been hit, though this is something Ryan Garcia will no doubt be looking to change on Saturday night.

Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia will be live on talkSPORT from 4am on Sunday morning.