Anthony Cacace, the WBA super-featherweight world champion, is making his first title defense against former featherweight champ Nick Ball on 19 December, and it is going down at The O2 in Belfast. You read that right, the “Apache” is back home for a huge fight, and it’s set to be absolutely electric.
The Champion’s Homecoming in Belfast
Cacace, the 37-year-old Belfast native, won his WBA title back in March with a hard-fought points victory over James ‘Jazza’ Dickens in Dublin. Now, he faces another Liverpool slugger in Ball. This dude’s record stands at an impressive 25 wins and just one loss, showing he is a serious force. You wanna talk about a journey? His last fight in his home city was way back in May 2023, defending the IBO belt against Damian Wrzesinski on an undercard. Since then, he won and then relinquished the IBF title, before that big win over Dickens made him a two-time champion at the weight. Cacace himself is hyped, telling DAZN, “Nick’s a great fighter, ex-world champion, so I expect a good scrap. He’s a hard man, so let’s do it.” He is ready for anything, saying, “I’ll fight with him, I’ll box him, whatever way he wants, so we’ll see what happens on the night. I’m really looking forward to it.” And for the fans? “Belfast around Christmas time is going to be jumping, so I’m looking forward to it,” he added. You know that atmosphere is going to be unreal.
Ball’s Redemption Shot After a Tough Knock
Across the ring stands Nick Ball, a Liverpudlian with a massive chip on his shoulder. He is coming off the first defeat of his entire career, getting stopped in the final round by Brandon Figueroa in February while defending his WBA featherweight title. That’s gotta sting, right? Ball earned that featherweight title in 2024 with a points win over Raymond Ford, just three months after his first world title bid ended in a draw against then-WBC champ Rey Vargas. This dude is no stranger to big stages, even fighting on the same Belfast card as Cacace back in 2023, where he stopped Ludumo Lamati. His record sits at 23-1-1, and he is absolutely hungry for this. Ball sees it as a “massive opportunity at a new weight.” He knows Cacace is no joke, saying, “He’s a solid champion, so it’s going to be a good fight. I’ll be coming, he’ll be coming, so it’s going to be a good one.”
This December 19th showdown in Belfast is everything for both these guys. Cacace is making his first WBA super-featherweight defense at home, while Ball is gunning for a two-weight championship and serious redemption after his first career loss. You know this fight is gonna be explosive!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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