Abdullah Mason almost immediately accepted Giovanni Cabrera as his next opponent after he stopped Manuel Jaimes in the fourth round February 14 in New York. Undefeated lightweight contender William Zepeda beat Cabrera by third-round knockout in his most recent fight, July 6 at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California. Two fights earlier, however, Cabrera tested eventual WBA 140-pound champ Isaac Cruz, the hard-hitting Mexican who won a split decision over Cabrera in July 2023 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.