Raymond Ford has encountered another obstacle on his path toward securing a 130-pound title shot.

The former WBA featherweight champ hoped a victory over Anthony Cacace on August 16 would move him into position to fight for a junior lightweight title.

The Ring's Mike Coppinger learned Tuesday night though, that Cacace (24-1, 9 KOs) suffered a back injury while training and withdrew from their 12-round bout on a Riyadh Season card at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Matchmakers are exploring options for Ford (17-1-1, 8 KOs) to remain on the card against another opponent. It is also possible that the 26-year-old southpaw from Camden, New Jersey won't fight August 16 and will be placed on another show.

The 36-year-old Cacace's injury interrupted an impressive, career-changing run for the Irish southpaw over the past 13 months.

The Belfast native surprisingly stopped Wales' Joe Cordina (18-1, 9 KOs) in the 8th-round to win the IBF junior lightweight title in May 2024 from the Saudi capital.

He has beaten two more former champions, British pair Josh Warrington (32-4-1, 8 KOs) and Leigh Wood (28-4, 17 KOs), by unanimous decision and 9th-round technical knockout, respectively, in his two bouts since upsetting Cordina.

Ford, meanwhile, has defeated Puerto Rico's Orlando Gonzalez (23-3, 13 KOs) and Cleveland’s Thomas Mattice (22-5-1, 17 KOs) unanimously in back-to-back 10-rounders in the junior lightweight division since England's Nick Ball took the WBA featherweight title from him by split decision in June 2024 in Riyadh.

Cacace is ranked No. 3 among The Ring's junior lightweight contenders, seven spots above the 10th-ranked Ford. The Ring's junior lightweight title is vacant.

Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs) is scheduled to defend his WBA featherweight title against Australia's Sam Goodman (20-0, 8 KOs) elsewhere on the August 16 bill.

The card will also include a 12-round heavyweight bout between emerging English contender Moses Itauma (12-0, 10 KOs) and veteran Dillian Whyte (31-3, 21 KOs).

Croatian contender Filip Hrgovic (18-1, 14 KOs) and England's David Adeleye (14-1, 13 KOs) are scheduled to square off in another heavyweight bout on the same show.