Abdullah Mason returned to Norfolk, Virginia, this week a different fighter than the impatient prospect that got knocked down twice in the first round Nov. 8.

Mason’s mission since that night has been to demonstrate how much he learned from his fan-friendly firefight with dangerous Dominican underdog Yohan Vasquez. The left-handed Cleveland, Ohio, native has patiently picked apart and stopped two opponents — Manuel Jaimes and Carlos Ornelas — in the nearly seven months since his second-round knockout of Vasquez, whom Mason sent to the canvas once apiece in the first and second rounds.

Fighting at Scope Arena again means more to Mason (18-0, 16 KOs) than those two bouts because it is where fans first saw flaws in one of the most heavily promoted prodigies in boxing. Mason, who turned 21 two months ago, wants to show even more in his fight Saturday night against Jeremia Nakathila that his last outing in Norfolk was an anomaly.

“The last time out in November, it was a great learning experience,” Mason told The Ring. “I’m back in the same spot now, but better. They gonna see when I get in the ring and that bell ring how I assess this fight and how I come out on top.”

Whereas Vasquez (26-6, 21 KOs) had not been knocked out before he met Mason, Nakathila (26-4, 21 KOs) lost back-to-back bouts by knockout to IBF lightweight champ Raymond Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) and junior welterweight contender Ernesto Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) in 2023.

Namibia’s Nakathila nonetheless has faced a much higher level of opposition than Vasquez, most notably WBC lightweight champ Shakur Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs), former WBC super featherweight champ Miguel Berchelt (41-3, 36 KOs), Muratalla and Mercado.

Nakathila’s crowning achievement was battering Berchelt, who was dropped three times and stopped following six one-sided rounds in March 2022 at Resorts World Las Vegas.

“He likes to put everything on his punches,” Mason said. “That’s what I seen from him. He not gonna sit back and box you. He gonna try to fight and he gonna put it all on his punches. That’s why he got those 21 knockouts.

“I feel like he let his hands go a little more. He’s been in those tougher fights more than the rest of the people I’ve faced. So, he’s just got more experience. You’ve gotta watch out for those guys who’ve been in there already.”

Mindful of what occurred versus Vasquez, Mason intends to take his time in analyzing Nakathila.

A left hook by Vasquez dropped Mason only 48 seconds into their scheduled eight-rounder. A calm Mason, who went down for the first time in 95 combined amateur and professional fights, responded by landing a picturesque left uppercut that knocked Vasquez flat on his back just 33 seconds later.

Another left uppercut by Mason made it look like he would knock out Vasquez in the opening round. A resilient Vasquez caught Mason with another left hook, however, that counted as the second knockdown of his career with 1:02 to go because his glove touched the canvas.

Mason recovered from that punch as well. Once the second round began, Mason followed the instructions given between rounds by his father and trainer, Valiant Mason, and emphatically ended their fight with a well-placed left to Vasquez’s body.

The mature Mason plans to listen to his father’s instructions throughout this bout with Nakathila.

“They told me everything right [against Vasquez], but me being who I am I take it when I see it,” Mason said. “They wanted me to take my time a little bit and I’ve gotta take more heed to it. That’s what it taught me.”

Mason has ascended to the No. 2 spot in the WBO’s lightweight rankings and the No. 4 position in the WBC’s ratings. He would love to challenge Norfolk’s Keyshawn Davis (13-0, 9 KOs, 1 NC), who will defend his WBO belt against Dominican southpaw Edwin De Los Santos (16-2, 14 KOs) in the 12-round main event, if both win Saturday night.

Temporarily, though, Mason is consumed with beating Nakathila in impressive fashion.

“It’s exciting just being in that same spot [Scope Arena],” Mason said. “The crowd definitely loved that performance [against Vasquez], loved that whole fight. So, just coming back there where we got people who are looking forward to see the way you perform, I can’t wait to be back.”

Mason and Nakathila will open ESPN’s doubleheader at 10 p.m. ET (3 a.m. GMT). Undercard coverage is scheduled to begin on ESPN+ at 5:15 p.m. ET (10:15 p.m. GMT).