Alberto Puello was a gentleman about it.

He didn’t stomp his feet or remonstrate with Subriel Matias after losing his WBC super lightweight title on July 12 on Ring III in Flushing, New York. Instead, he clapped for his opponent and nodded his head.

But quietly, he was taking action.

Once the decision was made official, Puello (24-1, 10 KOs) reached out to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman. Puello hoped that he would grant him an immediate rematch. His demands, however, weren’t instantly placated, but Sulaiman did offer a solution.

“The WBC has addressed the issue,” Sulaiman told The Ring. “We have a ruling that Matias against Dalton Smith is a mandatory fight to take place. The winner must fight Puello.”

For Smith, waiting wasn’t an option. So officially, the WBC’s No. 1 contender will face Matias on Ring IV on November 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In a day and age where activity isn’t always afforded to fighters, Smith (18-0, 13 KOs) has managed to remain under the bright lights. His bout against Matias (23-2, 22 KOs) is his third in 2025 and he’s hoping to win his first world title.

Matias, though, isn’t interested in having a quick championship reign. Much like Smith, the 33-year-old Puerto Rican fought his way back after losing his IBF 140-pound title to Liam Paro in June 2024.

Sulaiman is interested in seeing how Matias vs. Smith plays out. Few fighters manage to go the full distance with either.

“It’s going to be a very tough, good fight.”