Subriel Matias vs. Dalton Smith: WBC Super Lightweight Title Bout
Subriel Matias is set to return to his native Puerto Rico for his upcoming WBC super lightweight title bout against Dalton Smith. The contractual arrangement came to fruition when Fresh Productions, representing Matias, triumphed in the purse bids earlier this week. They offered $1.9 million, surpassing the bid from Smith’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, who proposed $1.71 million.
As a stipulation of the deal, a win bonus of 10% is included from the total amount, which means Matias will see 70% of the pool after the bonus is deducted, amounting to $1.197 million. Dalton Smith is slated to receive 30%, equating to $513,000, for this significant fight.
Fighter Profiles
Subriel Matias, with a professional record of 23 wins and 2 losses, including 22 knockouts, clinched the WBC title in July after a majority decision victory against Alberto Puello, which took place on a high-profile boxing card in New York. Previously, Matias held the IBF super lightweight championship but faced an upset loss to Liam Paro in June 2024.
On the other hand, Dalton Smith is looking forward to making a significant leap in his career with this title shot. Undefeated at 18-0 with 13 KOs, Smith secured his mandatory position by impressively knocking out seasoned contender Jose Zepeda earlier this year, having ascended the WBC rankings after defeating Walid Ouizza in January. Smith has since maintained his title aspirations with a unanimous decision victory against Mathieu Germain in April.
Jai Opetaia’s Title Defense
In another announcement, Jai Opetaia is officially set to defend his IBF and RING Magazine cruiserweight titles against Hüseyin Cinkara, who is his mandatory challenger. This news comes after a potential purse bid for their fight was averted when Matchroom Boxing reached an agreement prior to the auction.
Despite Opetaia’s hopes of engaging in more prominent unification bouts against notable champions such as Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez or Badou Jack, those dreams have faced hurdles, as Ramirez is recovering from shoulder surgery and won’t return until 2026, while Jack is focused on a rematch with Noel Mikaelian. Consequently, Opetaia (28-0, 22 KOs) will defend against Cinkara, a fighter who remains relatively unrecognized on the global stage.
Cinkara (23-0, 19 KOs) faced an injury that delayed his originally scheduled bout with Opetaia in January, but he has since returned to the ring, achieving a notable second-round stoppage over Armend Xhoxhaj in April 2024. His latest fight ended with a first-round knockout against Juan Diaz this past April. This match for Opetaia certainly lacks the glamour he had envisioned but represents yet another chapter in his path as champion.
