'Stand and try and fight!' - Featherweight champion expects advantages over former Naoya Inoue rival

Nick Ball believes his bout with Sam Goodman will be to his advantage next month, expecting the Australian to "stand and try" against him in their WBA featherweight battle.

The two meet on the undercard of Moses Itauma and Dillian Whyte's heavyweight blockbuster on Saturday, August 16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, live on DAZN Pay-Per-View.

For Liverpool fighter Ball, it marks the third defence of his title, having seen off the challenge of Ronny Rios and TJ Doheny since dethroning Raymond Ford in June last year.

But despite Goodman arriving with a pedigree that almost earned him a shot at Naoya Inoue a division below, the star expects his rival's approach will play to his own strengths.

"He'll probably stand and try and fight, won't he?" he told The Ring. "He wants to become world champion. Then he'll realise he can't do that and then I'll take over.

"Either way, whatever way it's going to go, it's going to be in my favour.  People think you just get to this level and lose your hunger.

"It’s not the case because you've got something that they want and you've worked your whole life for it so you're going to go harder and you can see what you can get, aren’t you?

"You get a little taste for it and you want more of it.”

Ball is on a hot streak, having bounced back from his draw with Rey Vargas in March 2024 when he challenged for the WBC crown to become one of the division's top operators.

Fellow unbeaten foe Goodman however will hope to translate his success as a talented super-bantamweight to the next level though when he challenges for a world title.

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