WBA super-featherweight champion Anthony Cacace is not prepared to allow suggestions of a showdown with Vasiliy Lomachenko to distract him as he prepares to take on Nick Ball. The 37-year-old makes his maiden defence of the title against Liverpool's former WBA featherweight champion Ball at the recently renamed O2 Belfast on 19 December.
While the WBA has indicated the winner must face Russia's Elnur Samedov next, the returning Lomachenko is also reported to have his eye on the victor. Should a matchup with Lomachenko eventually materialise, it would be the fulfilment of a long-held ambition for Cacace, who famously called out the Ukrainian star on social media back in 2012. However, the champion maintains that his entire focus remains locked on the challenge posed by Ball.
For Ball, this contest marks his first step up into the super-featherweight division as he attempts to capture a world title in a second weight class. The 29-year-old challenger will concede significant height and reach advantages to the champion, but he remains completely unfazed by the size difference, noting that overcoming physical disadvantages has been a recurring theme throughout his professional career. Ball enters the fight following his first career loss to Brandon Figueroa earlier in the year, but he is eager to seize the Belfast opportunity.
Headlining a world title defence in his native Belfast represents a dream come true for Cacace, who has fought in his home city only five times across his 26-fight professional career. Since capturing his first world title in Saudi Arabia in 2024 by stopping Joe Cordina, Cacace has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence. He anticipates a characteristically aggressive approach from Ball but expresses absolute confidence in his own versatility and readiness to deliver a memorable spectacle for the home crowd.