Subriel Matias and Jeremias meet for vacant IBF belt

Subriel Matias of Puerto Rico and Jeremias Ponce from Argentina meet for the vacant IBF junior welterweight belt in Minneapolis, USA on Saturday.

The 30-year-old Matias (18-1; 18), who fights from the southpaw stance, is coming off a ninth-round stoppage win against Petros Ananyan in his most recent fight in January last year.

Ponce, 26, who has a record of 30-0; 20, stopped Ochiko Odikadze in the third round in his last fight in April last year.

Matias has a 94.7 per cent knockout record with his only defeat coming against Petros Ananyan in 2020 on a closely contested ten-round decision. He was knocked down in the seventh round.

In an outstanding career he has scored wins over Patrick Lopez, Adrian Estrella, Breidis Prescott, Fernando Saucedo, Wilberth Lopez, Maxim Dadashev, Malik Hawkins, and Batyrzhan Jukembayev.

Rather sadly Dadashev passed away after sustaining injuries in the bout with Matias.

Ponce has advantages in height and reach over Matias, made his pro debut in 2015, and has won the WBA Fedebol welterweight title, the IBF Intercontinental, Argentine, South American, and IBO junior welterweight titles.

He has scored wins over Lewis Ritson, Michael Marcano, Jonathan Eniz, and Rico Mueller, and has also been knocked down.

This could be a closely contested bout with some of the betting sites favouring Matias at minus 350 and Ponce at plus 260.

The other main organisation champions are Josh Taylor (WBO), Alberto Puello (WBA) and Regis Prograis (WBC).