When Warrington beat Carl Frampton – another Belfast fighter and Cacace’s long-time friend – in December 2018, he lit up the Manchester Arena with a relentless, front-footed display which left his rival in deep trouble from the outset.

And while he again started off in impressive fashion here, landing a telling right uppercut in the second round, it wasn’t long before Cacace took control of the fight.

Four months ago when Cacace won the world title against Joe Cordina in Saudi Arabia, he went chasing the knockout from the first round. But here, he took his time to figure out Warrington before coming alive in the fourth round, hurting the Yorkshireman with a thunderous right hook, having already connected with a flurry of body shots.

Sensing a fading challenge from Warrington, Cacace again hurt his opponent with a strong left hook to the nose in the fifth.

From there, Warrington showed moments of the work-rate and resilience that have underpinned his decorated career, but in Cacace he found a sizeable super-featherweight whose punching power and ringcraft left the Leeds fighter with a mountain to climb in the closing rounds.

Knowing he needed something special in the final round, the risk-taking Warrington came flying out of his corner, but Cacace managed to keep his gallant efforts at a safe distance and the judges scored it 118-110, 117-111, 117-111 in the Belfast man’s favour.

While a bout with Mexican Nunez looms for Cacace, Warrington’s career could be over after failing to end his losing streak having stepped up from featherweight.