Aug. 26, 2023. That was the last time an Abdullah Mason opponent made it to the final bell.

Reaching the end of your shift against the talented 21-year-old isn’t easy. With his propensity for knockouts, he enjoys giving his opponents a quick and painful night.

Mason (19-0, 17 KOs) is a few months away from punching his time card against Sam Noakes for the vacant WBO lightweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Nov. 22.

On paper, Noakes (17-0, 15 KOs) will be Mason’s toughest test by far. That doesn’t mean their fight will make it to the final bell, either.

“We're gonna see,” a smiling Mason told Sean Zittel on his YouTube channel when asked if Noakes will survive past six rounds. “I don’t think so.”

In all likelihood, you won’t catch Noakes going back and forth with Mason in public. The 28-year-old is simply putting his head down and counting down the days till they meet.

Although Mason has fight-ending power, Noakes has been known to send a few fighters to the emergency room as well.

Patrik Balaz, his last opponent May 10, was destroyed by third-round KO.

Mason, though, isn’t worried about the trail of bodies left by Noakes. Roughly two months ago, he scored his own eye-catching win against Jeremia Nakathila, stopping him after five brutal rounds.

Since he was a child, Mason has been preparing for this moment and doesn’t want this opportunity to slip away. While he continues to put in the work, he finds himself constantly thinking about his upcoming fight.

Noakes’ skills, power and relentless pressure will be on front street. And while that may sound scary to some, for Mason it sounds like a good time.

“Great matchup. Sam Noakes has power, but I’m a have a lot of fun.”