Abdullah Mason vs. Sam Noakes Keys to Victory: Breaking down tactics of each fighter

Abdullah Mason can make his busy 2025 a year he will never forget.

Already touting three victories for the year, the 21-year-old Cleveland, Ohio product clashes with British fighter Sam Noakes for the vacant WBO lightweight world title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and live on DAZN Pay-Per-View , as part of Ring IV: Night of Champions on Saturday night.

Mason (19-0, 17 KOs) dismantled a veteran Jeremia Nakathila in June for his third victory of 2025, while Noakes last recorded a third-round KO of Patrik Balaz in May.

Will Mason become a world champion at 21 with yet another dazzling performance? Or will Noakes be the fighter that remains undefeated as the new champ at Mason’s expense?

With the anticipation building steadily toward this bout, DAZN News analyzes the Keys to Victory for both fighters entering Saturday night.

Abdullah Mason’s Keys to Victory

Manage space with precision

Watch Abdullah Mason work his way around the ring and you will often forget he is only 21. The Cleveland, Ohio manages his ring real estate with as much precision as he punches with.

The skilled southpaw is always within arm’s reach, maneuvering the healthy distance and selecting opt times when to crash the pocket.

He will be counted on to do this shrewdly against a pressure-packed fighter like Sam Noakes.

Lure Noakes in, counterpunch in traffic

One of the many reasons why Mason is a rapidly rising star on the brink of becoming a world champion is his pointed accuracy.

Coupled with how he manages space, Mason’s sharp punching precision should be on display against a forward-fighting Noakes.

While the British fighter is rugged for the way he cuts the ring in half, he shows little to no head movement at all.

That bodes well for a skilled sniper like Mason who would be aided by luring Noakes in and picking him apart with precise potshots in traffic.

He starts landing these counters cleanly and they could be a source of frustration for Noakes.

Sit on hooks around the guard

Once Mason is finding a home with clean straight rights and lefts, the onus will be on him to unload his hooks.

The southpaw sits on left and right hooks exceptionally well, leveraging their maximum impact.

If Mason is able to generate a stoppage to become a world champion in this bout, catching a slacking Noakes with a left or right hook might be just the shot to do it.

Sam Noakes’ Keys to Victory

Pressure with caution

Pressure is what brought Sam Noakes to this dance but if he is not careful, Abdullah Mason will make him pay dearly for any mistakes.

That means Noakes must fight forward without overextending and getting overzealous. A swing and miss will leave him vulnerable as Mason is just too sharp with his weaponry.

Bang the body

Noakes bangs the body with crunching shots effectively. Making these deposits against Mason could hinder some of the 21-year-old’s methodical movement around the ring and leave him on the back foot where Noakes can crank up the pressure.

Turn the volume way up

Noakes being hell-bent on cutting the ring in half, locking Mason in the phone booth with him and throwing away the key must be accompanied by a high volume of punching output.

Listen, Mason's fight against Yohan Vasquez showed that the American can get clipped. Despite Mason winning the November 2024 fight by second-round TKO, he tasted the canvas twice before winning.

Noakes' persistent pressure and punching power can lead to a flash knockdown of Mason, too. When Noakes’ pressure puts Mason in cramped quarters, the British fighter must let his hands go and drive up his punch count.

It gives him the best chance of hurting the American star on the rise and swaying judges’ scorecards toward claiming the vacant lightweight title.