Subriel Matias hopes Shakur Stevenson beats Teofimo Lopez on January 31.

Matias assumes that's the only way he'll get an opportunity to fight for The Ring's junior welterweight title in the foreseeable future.

The WBC 140-pound champ is convinced Lopez would never seriously consider meeting him if both emerge victorious from their upcoming championship clashes.

"The fact of the matter is as long as Teofimo has the title, that fight will never happen," Matias told co-host Mike Coppinger during a recent episode of "Inside The Ring" on DAZN. "Teofimo is a coward."

Matias (23-2, 22 KOs) is more concerned this week with his first defense of a WBC belt he won from Dominican southpaw Alberto Puello (24-1, 10 KOs) in his last fight.

The powerful Puerto Rican is set to square off against England's Dalton Smith (18-0, 13 KOs) in the main event of a pay-per-view show Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn ($54.99; 8 p.m. ET).

Matias, 33, a former IBF junior welterweight champ, is The Ring's second-ranked contender for Lopez’s championship, behind only IBF beltholder Richardson Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs). Smith, 28, is ranked seventh by The Ring.

Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs), No. 7 on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list, moved up from the lightweight limit of 135 pounds to challenge Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) for his Ring and WBO 140-pound crowns. Their title bout between 28-year-old rivals is the main event of "The Ring 6" show three weeks from Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Matias will sit ringside to watch Lopez-Stevenson.

"Obviously, regarding Teofimo, he's a coward," Matias said. "He did not want and avoided a fight against me. But Shakur, everyone knows he's a beast. I don't know if he'll stay at 140 or relinquish the title for Keyshawn Davis to obtain it. I understand that Keyshawn fights with [Richardson] Hitchins at some point."

Davis (13-0, 9 KOs, 1 NC) — a former WBO lightweight champ from Norfolk, Virginia — is scheduled to make his 140-pound debut on the Lopez-Stevenson undercard against Jamaine Ortiz (20-2-1, 10 KOs), of Worcester, Massachusetts.

Stevenson, a three-division champion from Newark, New Jersey, and Davis are close friends who train together in Las Vegas.

DAZN will stream "The Ring 6" to subscribers of its monthly Ultimate plan ($44.99 in the United States; £24.99 in the UK) or on pay-per-view ($69.99 in the U.S.; £24.99 in the UK).