Subriel Matias is all set for his first true hometown fight in more than five years.

The same can be said for his stablemate Alfredo Santiago, even though his better-known opponent miserably blew weight.

Matias weighed in at 139.8 pounds, as did Mexico’s Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela ahead of their twelve-round, junior welterweight contest. DAZN will air their IBF title eliminator this Saturday, live from Coliseo Tomas Dones in Matias’ hometown of Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

The winner of the bout will become the mandatory challenger for current IBF 140-pound titlist Richardson Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs), The Ring’s No. 3 junior welterweight contender.

Matias, The Ring’s No. 7 junior welterweight, previously held the IBF 140-pound title from Feb. 2023 through last June 15.

The reign ended in an upset split decision defeat to Australia’s Liam Paro (23-0 at the time), who ruined Matias’ homecoming in Manati, Puerto Rico. Matias rebounded with a second-round knockout of Roberto Ramirez (26-4-1, 19 KOs) last Nov. 9 in Bayamon, P.R.

Guadalajara’s Valenzuela has won five straight against a variety of opposition ranging from fringe to contender level. His last defeat came in a May 2022 majority decision to then-unbeaten Montana Love on the Dmitry Bivol-Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez undercard in Las Vegas.

Santiago (16-2, 7 KOs) joins Matias on their third consecutive card together.

The transplanted Dominican—who now lives in Fajarado—was 139.8 pounds for the evening’s co-feature. Santiago will face fellow Dominican and former secondary titlist Javier Fortuna (39-5-1, 28 KOs), who was well over the junior welterweight limit at a beefy 146.6 pounds.

Their scheduled ten-round regional title fight will move forward, though Fortuna is no longer eligible to challenge for Santiago’s WBO-NABO belt.

Fortuna is stuck in a win-one, lose-one pattern over his last six fights, 3-3 during that stretch. The 35-year-old southpaw from La Romana, D.R. enters on the heels of a confidence-restoring second-round knockout last Dec. 18 in Santo Domingo.

Santiago has won three straight, including an impressive ten-round, upset unanimous decision over Mexico’s Angel Fierro on the June 15 Paro-Matias undercard.

The 30-year-old, ten-year ring veteran is currently the WBO’s No. 1 contender. Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13KOs), The Ring champion, holds the main WBO belt, while Arnold Barboza (32-0, 11 KOs) recently won the interim title. The two will meet for Lopez’s Ring championship and in a WBO title consolidation bout on May 2 at Times Square in New York City.

While Santiago was not yet named the mandatory challenger, a title fight remains well within reach should he win on Saturday.