Little has been heard from Ball (23-1-1, 13 KOs) since Brandon Figueroa stopped him in the final round of a WBA featherweight title defense in February.

The news that he had stepped up to 130 pounds came as a mild surprise, but the announcement that the 29-year-old Liverpudlian was going straight into a fight with the in-form Cacace (25-1, 9 KOs) without a tune-up was more unexpected. 

A fight with the Northern Irishman was unlikely to be part of Ball’s agenda at the start of 2026, but he didn’t hesitate to take a dangerous shortcut back to world-title level when it was offered. 

“Not really. Anything can happen in boxing, as you know,” Ball told Queensberry.

“Everyone’s excited for it. They were shocked when they heard we were fighting, but everyone's excited for it and can't wait for it. They're the fights you want to be in.”

The low-profile Ball has always been a man of action.

Rather than undertake a PR campaign to excuse the loss to Figueroa or look for an easy route back, Ball stepped away from the spotlight and made sure he was ready to take the first opportunity that came his way.

“That's what I'm here for, though, these massive fights,” he said.

“It’s alright saying in an interview what you're going to do; you’ve got to get in and do it, and that's what I do. That's what I'm all about. I don't really like doing the extra stuff and the things that come with it, but they come with it, and they've got to be done. I'd rather just get in and fight.

“That's what I've always done. So, that's what you get from me.”

Standing 5-foot-3, Ball has spent his entire life fighting men who tower over him, but can his aggressive style carry at junior lightweight? 

In March 2024, he bullied the much taller Rey Vargas around the ring in a WBC featherweight title fight. 

Although he dropped the lanky Mexican veteran twice, Ball settled for a controversial draw. The result, however, proved that he's still effective at world level and, just three months later, he outfought Ray Ford to win the WBA belt.

Figueroa also towered over Ball, and while the aggressive Texan tends to give away his height and reach advantage, he still found plenty of success in the pocket before the late, dramatic finish.

Cacace, 38, is tall, wiry, and a deceptively hard puncher. On paper, it looks like a tough task for Ball, but he is used to being overlooked. 

“I feel like a lot of people underestimate my strength, my pressure, my boxing ability as well. So, yeah, we have to wait and see what happens on the night.