Subriel Matias is focused on Saturday’s title shot

Subriel Matias faces undefeated Jeremias Ponce on Saturday live from the Armory, for the vacant IBF junior welterweight title.

On Saturday night, Showtime Boxing returns to the Armory in Minneapolis, MS, as Premier Boxing Champions & TGB Promotions host a triple header. The headliner will feature two fighters battling for the vacant IBF junior welterweight title. 30-year-old Puerto Rican contender Subriel Matias (18-1) faces the undefeated Argentinian Jeremias Ponce (30-0) in what looks to be an all-action brawl.

In a division that is starting to bubble with names and talent, Matias is in a great position to add his name not only to that list but also to the one with the names of champions from the island of Puerto Rico. Like many that see success when they hold their camps out of their home country, Matias and his team held their camp in the high-altitude region of Mexico called Jipiquilco. Matias has been there for almost a year preparing for a fight as dates kept changing, but he hasn’t allowed that to affect his mental focus. He has completely bought into his trainer, Jay ‘Panda’ Najar’s vision of training preparation.

“I’ve been in Mexico with my trainer ‘Panda’ as he adjusts my training regimen based on the change of fight dates. We are more than happy now that we finally have a date, and the fight is near. The hard work has been done, and now it’s time to get the victory”. Matias continued, “For this training camp, we worked for the last nine to ten months in Jipiquilco, one of the states in Mexico. It’s a place ‘Panda’ picked along with the rest of the team. The weather there is about 28-30 degrees, and although I don’t enjoy the cold, it’s something that I needed to deal with for this training camp. I have to do whatever it takes to come out victorious.”

Subriel Matias vs. Jeremias Ponce can be streamed live on the Showtime App

https://twitter.com/ShowtimeBoxing/status/1629204025122889728?s=20

Getting ready for this fight is nothing different than the 19 other fights, except for game planning for this specific opponent. Although he is completely focused on the task, he has three daughters back in Puerto Rico that he hasn’t seen in almost a year, which certainly can be hard on any person. Matias told FanSided, “The advantage I have is that they are still young, making things a lot easier. I’ve been able to communicate with them through video chat, but God willing, on Sunday, I will be heading to Puerto Rico to see them and finally give them the time they deserve.”

As Matias reached fight week, on Tuesday, he posted a video on Instagram showing him stepping on the scale weighing in at 141.5, which is almost at the 140-pound limit for the fight. Some fighters at this point of the week still have between 5-10 pounds to go before the Friday weigh-in, but Matias is almost there, and it shows his level of commitment going into the fight on Saturday night. At 30 years old, it can be difficult to keep making the weight in the current division, so is Matias jumping up to welterweight anytime soon? Matias told FanSided, “I consider myself a natural 140-pound fighter. You saw I weighed in at 141.4, and there are still three days remaining until the weigh-in, so I am more than good at making the weight.”

Matias has a warrior mindset and boxing style, so it all points towards a tremendous matchup, as his opponent is equally tough. “My mindset is the same as his, which is to win. The fighter that does the best on Saturday night will have his hand raised in victory. We will have a great fight that hopefully doesn’t go twelve rounds. Our two styles are aggressive, so I think either of us can win before the sound of the final bell,” said Matias.

As we wrapped up our conversation, Matias wanted to ensure that he thanked those in charge of his career and the people who have supported him. “To my family, this fight is dedicated to you as you know the sacrifices I have made to get to this point of my career. To the island of Puerto Rico, I appreciate all the love and support you have given me throughout my career. To be clear, the best promoter in Puerto Rico is Juan Orengo, and the best manager is Pedro Cruz. Thank you to all the fans who support me and provide great vibes.”