The WBA 130-pound champion is enjoying a remarkable Indian summer to a career that took years to come to the boil. Since emerging on the world stage to rip the IBF title away from Joe Cordina in May 2024, the 37-year-old Northern Irishman has beaten Josh Warrington, Leigh Wood and Jazza Dickens, and currently sits at No. 3 in The Ring junior lightweight rankings.

Cacace (25-1, 9 KOs) will return home to Belfast’s O2 Arena for his December 19 fight with Ball (23-1-1, 13 KOs), a former WBA featherweight champion. The action will be streamed worldwide by DAZN.

“Nick Ball is a great fighter,” Cacace said at a press conference Friday. “I think this is the fifth world champion [he has faced] in a row, so it’s just another fight and I’m looking forward to defending my title on December 19. At this level, you’re not gonna get any easy fights. It’s just whoever is put to me. I’d love to fight and unify the division or whatever else, but whoever they put to me, I’m willing to fight. Anyone.”

It is probably fair to say that at the start of 2026, neither man would have been expecting to round out the year by fighting each other.

One of the top featherweights in the world, Ball had racked up three defenses of the WBA belt he won by beating Ray Ford in June 2024. He spoke openly about wanting to welcome Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue to the 126-pound division.

The 29-year-old Ball’s run came to an end February 7, when Brandon Figueroa crossed the Atlantic and produced an outstanding display to knock Ball out in the final round at M&S Bank Arena in Ball’s hometown of Liverpool.

Cacace has recently been linked to a future fight with the returning multi-weight world champion Vasyl Lomachenko. Although he will tower over the short, compact Ball, he is in no mood to look beyond the task at hand.

“I’m expecting the toughest Nick Ball to date,” Cacace said. “He’s got the opportunity to become a two-weight world champion. That’s history. It’s massive. I’m gonna prepare for a tough 12 rounds and I’m gonna be ready.”