Ford Outboxed Nova but Wanted More From His Riyadh
Raymond Ford defeated Abraham Nova by unanimous decision on August 16, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The ten-round junior lightweight contest ended with scores of 97–93, 97–93 and 96–94, giving the former featherweight champion another victory at his higher weight.
Nova’s pressure kept the opening rounds competitive
Nova used his size and forward movement to land effective power shots early. Ford answered with speed and cleaner combinations, but could not prevent the replacement opponent from making portions of the contest physically demanding.
Ford began separating himself more clearly around the fifth round. His sharper attacks helped shape the second half, even as Nova continued finding occasional openings in close.
The final totals reflected Ford’s cleaner work
The reported punch statistics credited Ford with 127 landed punches to Nova’s 101, including ninety-three power shots against eighty. The figures supported the impression that Ford had produced the more effective offense overall.
Every judge favored Ford, although one card gave him only a two-point margin. The result improved his record to eighteen wins, one loss and one draw.
The winner still identified room for improvement
Nova had replaced original opponent Anthony Cacace before the event. Afterward, Ford said he was dissatisfied with how often he allowed the fight to become crowded and untidy.
He believed more movement and greater use of his legs would have helped him box more cleanly. The victory therefore supplied both a successful result and a practical lesson: his speed and skill won the rounds, but he wanted better control of the distance throughout the contest.
Sources
- The Ring: date, scores, punch totals and middle-round shift
- BoxingScene: replacement opponent and Ford’s post-fight assessment
