Matthias Vs. Valenzuela: Offer for February 2nd

The IBF ordered a 140lb title eliminator bid between No. 3 Subriel Matias and No. 4 Gabriel Valenzuela on Feb. 2 to determine the mandatory challenger for welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins.

Lance Pugmire reports that a Matias vs. Valenzuela bid has been ordered to determine the No. 1 challenger for Hitchins.

Matias Title Shot

Subriel, 32, is not popular enough for Hitchins to choose him for voluntary defense. So Matias has to go the mandatory route by beating the silly Valenzuela to force the fight. It makes sense. No champion at 140 would be happy to face a KO artist like Matthias. We saw that with WBO champion Teofimo Lopez recently when he dropped the idea of ​​facing Matias.

Former IBF champion Matias (21-2, 21 KOs) lost his title to Liam Paro last year, losing by unanimous decision in 12 rounds on June 15 in Manatee, Puerto Rico. Seen by many boxing fans as the boogeyman in the 140-pound division, Matias knocked out Roberto Ramirez in the second round on November 9.

Teofimo recently turned down what was said to be a career-high payday to defend his WBO light heavyweight title against Subriel Matias. He said he didn’t want to fight Matthias because Top Rank wanted to put the match on the West Coast and not New York, where he felt it would be better.

Lopez also said he didn’t like that Top Rank wanted to put the Matias fight on PPV. Fans believe that Teofimo did not have the confidence to fight, knowing that Matias punches hard and is a fighter who could beat him and destroy his career, such as it is.

Valenzuela (30-3-1, 17 KOs) is on a five-fight winning streak dating back to a 12-round unanimous decision loss to Montana Lion on May 7, 2022. His wins since then have come against low-level opponents.

Richardson (19-0, 7 KOs) could face WBO 140-pound champion Teofimo Lopez next in a unification bout on one of Turki Al-Sheikh’s cards if Theo decides to take it. If not, there is a possibility that George Kambosos Jr. challenge Hitchins for his IBF belt.