Northern Ireland’s Anthony Cacace calls Riyadh world win 'just like a dream'

The 35-year-old fighter from Belfast produced a stunning display to defeat Joe Cordina and win the IBF world super-featherweight title on the undercard of the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk high-profile showdown in Riyadh.

A referee decision to halt the contest in the eighth round left Cacace with the belt over the highly-regarded Cordina, inflicting a first defeat on his 18th professional bout for the latter.

Cacace marked his 23rd outing in memorable fashion as he dominated the fight stats - showing 617 punches thrown and 282 landed compared to his rival’s respective figures of 325 and 113 in the same categories, according to broadcasters.

"I'm absolutely buzzing...I can't even begin to tell you,” said Cacace in a post-fight interview with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions social media platforms. "It's just like a dream, I feel like I'm floating, it doesn't even feel real.

"No-one gave me a chance coming in here and I just proved (it).

"I'm a knockout puncher and all I have to do is believe.

"Get every last one of them super-featherweights lined up, get me the money and bring me back out here."

Cacace highlighted his success in an interview with broadcasters during in-ring celebrations following confirmation of the verdict.

“Joe is a hell of a competitor,” he said. “He is an Olympian, a two-time world champion. I give him his dues, but tonight I was hurting him with every single shot. But I have nothing but respect for him and I'd love to run that back.

"From here on in I want to be boxing in Saudi Arabia every time, no more back in the UK. Saudi Arabia is the place."

He added in the television interview with a belt over each shoulder: "I was an IBO world champion, everyone discredits the IBO but this is a title as well.

"I'm not going to discredit that, I was a world champion coming in here...at least according to my kids!

"Now I'm an IBF world champion."

Cacace called Warren “the best promoter in the world by a long shot”.

And Warren, when asked about the next step for Cacace, told broadcasters on Saturday night: "We will see, we will sit down as a team...and we will make our decision.

"No rush to do anything, the name of the game is what he did tonight and what he did tonight was a fantastic performance.

"He was a big underdog according to everybody coming tonight and he's come out and he's shown what he's all about.

"My only concern was he didn't fight regularly enough and look what he had in the tank there and what he did.

"Brilliant shots, read the fight well...he just done an absolute professional top-quality job."

Cacace was left “a wee bit emotional” during celebrations to mark his success as he praised support from those watching on in Northern Ireland.

“Just believing in myself (made the difference) …knowing fine well I could change my children’s lives tonight and I have,” he said in an interview on social media with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions. “I feel a wee bit emotional. I've had a hard enough journey but it really feels like it's all worth it now.

“I can't wait to take it home. They were all at my mum's house, everyone’s outside my house now partying and loving life so I just want to say ‘thank you’ to them all for the support.

“I'm gonna buy a nice house in the country somewhere now and I'm going to live and I'm going to have a good life, at least I'm going to have something left for my kids. I'm just super proud and I love them all.

“Thank you very much everyone who believed in me…35 years of age, finally got the shot.

“A big 'thank you' to everyone who has brought me out here.

“I've shocked the world and I'm going back to Belfast world champion."​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​