Raymond Ford will now face replacement Abraham Nova after Anthony Cacace pulled out of their fight with injury.
Ford was set to meet Irish star Anthony Cacace on the undercard of the heavyweight clash between Moses Itauma and Dillian Whyte on August 16 in Saudi Arabia.
But Cacace announced that he would be withdrawing from the bill, having suffered a back injury during preparations.
It left organisers frantically trying to replace the recent IBF world champion on a bill, which has a raft of fantastic fights.
And to the relief of many, the fight is now back on with a replacement opponent.
Ford will instead face the task of former world title challenger Nova in a 12-round clash.
Nova was beaten last year in his title clash with O’Shaquie Foster, who organisers contacted prior to drafting in Nova.
But after picking up a victory last month against journeyman German Ivan Meraz, he will hope to pull off an unlikely upset against the American.
Ford is a supreme talent who has 17 victories to his name, with one defeat which came in a spirited split decision to Nick Ball in June 2024.
Since then ‘Savage’ has picked up back-to-back victories and is making a renewed push for a world title shot.
A platform as big as Itauma vs Whyte will present him with a big opportunity to catapult his name back into the mix.
It promises to be a stacked bill with a huge showdown between heavyweights Filip Hrgovic and David Adeleye also on the card.
Ford’s previous conqueror Ball will also feature on the same card as he defends his WBA featherweight crown against Sam Goodman.
But all eyes will land on the headline attraction as Itauma looks to make his big break into superstardom.
The rising 20-year-old star will take on his biggest challenge in Whyte, a former world title challenger who has fought the likes of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
Victory could likewise propel him to world level just months after leaving his teenage years.
And Dave Allen, who has sparred both heavy-handed units believes Itauma will win in devastating fashion.
He said: “My early prediction would be an Itauma stoppage, in a couple of rounds as well.
“It’s all about the timing. Even the best Dillian Whyte would be a hard ask [for him] because Itauma is a real scary talent.
“They’re getting Whyte at the right time, he’s 37, not been in the ring for a long time. So I think Itauma will stop him pretty early.”