The 37-year-old Belfast man boxed his way to a unanimous decision over the tough Liverpudlian at the 3Arena in Dublin. The scores were 115-113, 116-112 and 116-113.

The win sees Cacace join the likes of Katie Taylor and Carl Frampton as a two-time world champion.

“I'm delighted, I'm delighted,” Cacace said after the fight. “Listen, that shows you with a poor night at the office, I can still win a world one title so, there’s plenty more.

“Jazza's got a dodgy style. He’s southpaw. He hit me with the head, and I couldn't commit, but I'm the new world champion.”

Dickens (36-6, 15 KOs) and Cacace (25-1, 9 KOs) both recognize and appreciate just how hard the other has had to work to realize his dreams, but that respect was parked to one side from the moment they entered the arena.

Dickens’ story is one of the most inspirational in world boxing. He overcame a difficult start to life and spent 14 years fighting professionally before being crowned as a world champion.

Since linking up with his trainer, Albert Ayrapetyan, The Ring’s eighth-ranked junior lightweight has rediscovered the quick use of angles that made him such a promising youngster, but he took his time to figure out the tall, rangy Cacace.

Although his record may not show it, the strong, angular Cacace is renowned as an extremely hard puncher, but the first genuinely hard punch of the fight was a southpaw right hand from Dickens that seemed to momentarily stun the Irishman.

Cacace managed to land a long right hand to the body, but was struggling to find a home for his jab, and he came out for the third as a southpaw. Dickens found a straight left hand and countered a wide left hook with a sharp right of his own as the round ended.

Dickens had found something of a rhythm, but Cacace changed the tone of the fight at the very start of the fifth when a short left hand stunned Dickens. Sensing he had his man hurt, Cacace began to unload. Dickens used his experience to survive the round, but suddenly it was he who was struggling to land his jab.

The fight had become a high level chess match, with both men attempting to bait each other into a mistake, but the taller Cacace had established his range. And he was content to box and bide his time waiting for the opportunity to land his hard power shots as Dickens fell short.

In need of a good round, Dickens bossed the ninth. Looking full of energy, he pressed forward using good head movement. And while Cacace complained over an accidental clash of heads that opened a cut over his right eye, Dickens got on with the job of fighting.

The 10th and 11th were tight, nip-and-tuck rounds, and eye-catching shots were few and far between. Marked around both eyes, Dickens’ produced some excellent defensive work and picked some smart accurate shots to the body and up-jabs while Cacace boxed calmly and smoothly, gauging the range with his jab and picking the occasional long right hand.

Dickens boxed the 12th with real urgency. Barely taking a backward step, he pressed the action, but Cacace was able to take the sting out of his attacks.

Unbeaten Ryan Garner, who won his bout on the undercard, had been linked to a fight with the winner. However, after Cacace was awarded the decision, The Ring’s No. 3-ranked junior lightweight stated his intention to fight the 130-pound division’s other champions.

“Listen, all respect to Ryan Garner. He's a great up-and-comer, but I'm looking at bigger names now," Cacace said. "I want to unify the division. I want to have [IBF & WBO champion] Emanuel Navarrete next. Saudi Arabia, wherever it is, I'm there.”