The light heavyweight rivals will meet at Manchester’s AO Arena on November 7. Buatsi is ranked at No. 5 by The Ring at 175 pounds while Hutchinson sits at No. 7.

The two first met on the undercard of the IBF heavyweight title fight between Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua in September 2024. Buatsi (20-1, 13 KOs) dropped the belligerent Hutchinson (20-2, 14 KOs) twice and generally outboxed him before being awarded a far too close split decision.

That win earned the 33-year-old Londoner the WBO interim light heavyweight title. This time, the WBC’s interim belt will be on the line.

Some fighters might feel slighted at having to go over old ground against a fighter they've already beaten relatively comfortably. Others may take the fight for granted, assume things will be even easier the second time around and overlook the task at hand.

Buatsi isn’t that type of character. For him, a second fight with Hutchinson is a means to an end.

“The mindset is that it's an important fight. It’s a fight that's happened before but here we are with a rematch with something on the line. Something very important on the line,” he said.

“Once that was communicated to me, my team and I said, 'Yep, we're in.' So, here we are.”

The two couldn’t be more different.

The energetic, unpredictable Hutchinson has been banging the drum for a rematch from the moment the first fight ended.

A favorite of YouTube boxing channels, Hutchinson has mentioned Buatsi’s name in almost every interview since Buatsi had his hand raised under the arch at Wembley Stadium.

Calm, composed Buatsi has never risen to any of the bait Hutchinson has laid out for him and insists that the idea of shutting the 28-year-old up once and for all didn’t factor into his decision to accept the fight at all.

“There wasn't a lot of things that made me want to take it,” Buatsi said honestly.

“It was for what was at stake. The venue, the ring, whatever it is, I couldn’t care less. But it's what is at stake. So, that's the exact and only reason why I've taken it.”

Although the fight is still two months away, Buatsi has already entered fight mode.

Despite finally snaring the fight he has long wanted, Hutchinson seemed to realize that and resisted the urge to poke or insult Buatsi as the two completed a day of media duties.

It would be a major surprise if Hutchinson were able to remain on such an even keel all the way up to the first bell but Buatsi knows exactly what to expect and won’t alter his own approach whatsoever.

“Leading up to the last fight, I didn't say many things and it's going to be the same again,” he said.

“You wouldn't get any different from me. I'll go away. I'll prepare. I'll come back to win and I'll see everyone on November 7. It's very simple.”