The Ring Staff
Oct 27, 2025
1 min read
Subriel Matias-Dalton Smith now has a location and venue settled in the first fortnight of 2026 as the Puerto Rican seeks to make his first world title defence of his second championship reign against a bullish unbeaten British contender eager to make ...
After months of delays, it has been confirmed Subriel Matias' first WBC junior welterweight title defence against Dalton Smith will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on January 10.
BoxingScene were first to report the news, with a November 10 press conference tabbed in the U.S.' most populous city.
WBC's No. 1-ranked contender Smith (18-0, 13 KOs) originally expected to head to enemy territory in Puerto Rico around late November time, then sometime in December, but will now travel 10 miles from the scene of Matias' latest triumph.
Smith began his year with a first-round knockout of Walid Ouizza to win the European title, before solidifying his status as the sanctioning body's top challenger after a dominant 12-round points victory over Mathieu Germain on April 19.
Matias meanwhile, scored a gritty majority decision win over previously-unbeaten beltholder Alberto Puello as part of a stacked Ring III show on July 12 in Queens, New York before the pair faced off minutes later in the ring.
Smith's career-long promoter Eddie Hearn naturally wanted to secure home advantage for his charge, recently casting doubt about the matchup going ahead as planned after being outbid $200,000 by Matias' promoter Fresh Productions.
As it stands, junior welterweight contender Alfredo Santiago, bantamweight duo Jeyvier Cintron and former IBF champion Emmanuel Rodriguez - all boxers under the same banner - will feature in bouts to be announced in due course.
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