For boxing obsessed James 'Jazza' Dickens, every fight day feels like Christmas Day.

This year, the WBA interim junior lightweight champion gets to box on December 27.

Dickens will defend his belt against Japan's Hayato Tsutsumi (8-0, 5 KOs) as part of the Ring V card, headlined by Naoya Inoue-Alan Picasso. The show, entitled 'Night of the Samurai', will be screened exclusively from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on DAZN worldwide.

Dickens (36-5, 15 KOs) hoped to snare one of the 130-pound division's leading lights since he dominated and stopped the undefeated and highly-rated Albert Batyrgaziev in July.

The Liverpudlian travelled to Turkey as a sizeable underdog but was too knowledgable, strong and well rounded for the 2020 Olympic gold medallist and beat the Russian to a one-sided fourth-round finish.

With full WBA champion Lamont Roach, seemingly set for a lightweight move to rematch Gervonta Davis, it looked like Dickens’ interim belt would be quickly upgraded.

Davis' decision to instead accept a big money exhibition bout with Jake Paul threw a spanner in the works.

Three months after beating Batyrgaziev, Roach remains the WBA champion and rather than a big name, Dickens faces another talented but inexperienced fighter in Tsutsumi.

"You wouldn't believe the people who said 'No' to the fight," Dickens told The Ring.

"It's crazy isn't it? People who turn down fights, it blows my mind. I thought that being in this position that people would be happy to fight you but, no, that weren't the case so it's this Japanese guy, Tsustumi. I've never seen the guy, I hear he's a good fighter, but never watched him. I will have a look at him soon but just focus on me and I'll trust that my team have done the right job because they've done a great job for me the last year."

Dickens has been in outstanding form since moving up to 130 pounds. After notching up a couple of low-profile stoppage wins, he started 2025 impressively by outpointing former European champion Zelfa Barrett and followed that with an excellent scalp of Batyrgaziev.

Now, the former IBO featherweight beltholder gets the opportunity to round out the year on the Riyadh Season stage.

Although Dickens would have loved the chance to take on a major name, the 34-year-old isn’t the type to complain about his lot. As long as he has a fight to train for, he's a happy man.

He may hold that WBA interim title and sit at No. 10 in the The Ring's divisional rankings but Dickens isn't offended at being matched with another prospect and certainly won't overlook Tsutsumi.

"I don't see it like that. I don't see it like anything," he said.

"I don't look towards them, I just think about myself. It's my next step but I just think it's another challenge from a different continent. I beat the Olympian from Russia, now we're going to beat the Japanese fighter. That’s just how I see it. I like challenges from everywhere and will take on all comers.

"I just like a challenge. Experience will play a massive part in it but it doesn't always go by experience so it's important for me to be in top shape and to do what I'm best at."