Anthony Cacace Stuns Joe Cordina on Ring of Fire Undercard

Anthony Cacace (22-1, 8 KOs) is now the latest world champion from Belfast with a stoppage win against Joe Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs).

Cacace got the technical knockout at the 0:39 mark of round eight. The two met on the undercard of “Ring of Fire”, an event that sees Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship. Boxing fans can catch the action live as a PPV on DAZN and ESPN+ in the United States. Those in the United Kingdom can also do so with TNT Sports, Sky Sports and DAZN.

“Ring of Fire” takes place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is part of Riyadh Season, a state-funded entertainment and sports festival. The Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority is responsible for its organization.

Check out our recap of earlier undercard bouts, including one that saw Agit Kabayel stun Frank Sánchez.

Anthony Cacace Stuns Joe Cordina in World Title Win

Joe Cordina vs. Anthony Cacace Recap

The bout began patiently, with both fighters mainly staying an arm’s length away from each other. Whenever both fighters threw punches, it was evident that both men had quick hands. It was not long before things took a dramatic turn.

In round three, there was a moment where Cacace landed a punch after a break was called. Referee Bob Williams issued a warning but did not deduct any points. Cacace then started to throw several hooks at the body of the reigning champion. Eventually, those hooks landed on the head in addition to the body. A pair of uppercuts followed by a straight right soon sent Cordina to the canvas. Although the Welshman got up, he was clearly hurt and struggled to make it out of the round.

Cordina did what he could to get back in the fight, but the pressure of his opponent was proving to be too much. Cacace would come forward and throw a higher number of punches than Cordina could handle. While Cordina did what he could to defend himself, it proved to be a tall order.

In round eight, Cacace landed a right hand that caused Cordina to back up to the ropes. After a barrage of punches, referee Williams stepped in to stop the fight. With the win, the Irishman becomes a world champion for the very first time, winning the IBF super featherweight belt.

Post-Fight Interview