The cards are stacked and Raymond Ford will be hoping to have the better hand this Saturday when he defendes his featherweight World Boxing Association title for the first time against the dangerous Englishman, Nick Ball.  

In one of the main fights on the Riyadh Seasons “5 vs 5” programme, all eyes are on Raymond Ford.

The stakes are high for the American. After upsetting Uzbekistan’s Otabek Kholmatov last March with a dramatic last round technical knockout, Ford is out to prove that that night in Verona, USA was no lucky punch, and that the warrior-like character that allowed him to conjure up an adverse result is intact. 

With a record of 15 fights won, eight of them by knockout, and one draw, the American knows the size of the commitment. 

If Kolmatov was Ford’s baptism of fire en route to the crown, Nick Ball may be the one to measure what the champion is made of. 

The Englishman arrives in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a thirst for victory after a controversial draw in March against Mexico’s Rey Vargas, also in Riyadh. On that night, Ball sent Vargas to the canvas in the eighth and eleventh rounds, and came close to winning, but in the end the fight was settled in a controversial draw on the scorecards.  Ball has not lost a single one of his 20 fights, and 11 of his 19 fights have been by knockout. 

Both fighters will have a lot to prove. The champion Ford with the mission to revalidate. The challenger is determined to make the most of his second consecutive opportunity to become champion. 

At the bell, we’ll see who has the true winning hand in the “5 vs 5” of the Riyadh Season.