For Dickens, the bout marks the first defense of the belt he secured after years of setbacks and rebuilds.
Dickens (36-5, 15 KOs), 34, was elevated to full WBA champion in December when Lamont Roach was stripped of the title. The Liverpool southpaw had previously stopped Olympic gold medalist Albert Batyrgaziev in the fourth round to claim the interim belt earlier in 2025.
The road to that moment stretched close to fifteen years.
Dickens fought through knockout defeats, inactivity, and the lack of backing from a major promoter. His career included a world title attempt against Guillermo Rigondeaux in 2016 that ended early when Dickens suffered a broken jaw. Later defeats to Kid Galahad and Hector Andres Sosa left many questioning whether his championship hopes had passed.
Dickens said there were periods when the struggle nearly broke his belief.
“There were times when I thought: ‘What is all this about?’ When it was really hard,” Dickens told ESPN.
“I believe if you listen, God teaches you, but I did wonder: ‘What are you trying to teach me?’ at times. I’m glad I’ve been patient all these years because I finally got the opportunities when nobody believed in me.”
His turnaround began with a decision win over Zelfa Barrett followed by the stoppage of Batyrgaziev, a result that placed him back in the championship picture.
“Those opportunities came when people thought I was done,” Dickens said. “When I got knocked out by [Hector Andres] Sosa, people thought I was finished. But I went out there and dominated.”
Dickens credits much of that turnaround to trainer Albert Aryrapetyan, whom he joined in Dubai after struggling to find a coach willing to work with him.
“He was the only person who responded to me at the time when I needed a trainer,” Dickens said. “The phone wasn’t ringing, nobody wanted to know, but since I have become champion it hasn’t stopped ringing.”
The title defense comes against Cacace (24-1, 9 KOs), a former IBF champion who earned victories over Joe Cordina, Josh Warrington and Leigh Wood during the past year.
Dickens enters Saturday defending the WBA belt for the first time after nearly a decade and a half chasing the sport’s highest level. Cacace arrives attempting to reclaim a world title and place his name back among the champions at 130 pounds.
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