IBF light welterweight champion Subriel Matias took to social media today to express his desire to defend his title in his homeland of Puerto Rico. Matias, who boasts an impressive record of 20 wins with all 20 victories coming by knockout, hopes to fight in front of his passionate Puerto Rican fans. His next opponent is expected to be the undefeated Liam Paro.
Matias shared his longing for a home fight on Instagram, stating, “I would give anything to step into the ring again in front of my people.” Fortunately for Matias, plans are already in motion for him to fight in Puerto Rico in either June or July, with three cities being considered as potential locations.
However, Matias will not be facing WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez in his next bout. Lopez recently fought against Jamaine Ortiz and will be taking a break from the ring for the time being. Instead, Lopez has expressed his interest in facing either Terence Crawford or the winner of the upcoming fight between WBA champion Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero and Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz.
Meanwhile, Liam Paro, a 27-year-old southpaw fighter promoted by Matchroom Boxing, has climbed up the ranks and currently holds the #7 spot in the IBF’s rankings. This achievement puts him in line for a shot at Matias’ IBF 140-pound title. Paro showcased his skills with an impressive sixth-round knockout victory over Eddie Hearn fighter Montana Love in December of last year.
Paro’s dominant performance against Love, who had previously shown great promise in his career, was a tough pill to swallow for Hearn. Love had defeated several notable opponents, including Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela, Carlos Diaz, and Ivan Baranchyk. However, his momentum came to a halt when he faced Steve Spark, and his career has since taken a downturn.
If the Matias-Paro fight comes to fruition, Matias will have the advantage of fighting on home soil. This could potentially play a significant role in the outcome of the match. Matias already fights with tremendous motivation, but the added energy from his hometown crowd could propel him even further.
Matias is fresh off a sixth-round knockout victory over the previously undefeated #1 IBF contender Shohjahon Ergashev in Las Vegas last November. This impressive win solidified Matias’ status as the top fighter in the light welterweight division, according to many boxing enthusiasts.
According to the Source boxingnews24.com