IBF junior welterweight titleholder Sabriel Mathias will put his belt on the line for the first time against mandatory challenger Shojahon Ergashev on the David Benavidez vs. Demetrious Andrade undercard this Saturday at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas do.
Matias, who is ranked No. 4 in the junior welterweight division by Ring magazine, has had to take his time and be patient since beating Jeremias Ponce to claim the vacant title in February.
“Finally a date, another fight, do your job, nothing you know or do.” [different]” Matias (19-1, 19 knockouts) told The Ring via Fernando Gaztambide. “The best fighter that night will win. That will make Maternillo proud.”
The 31-year-old, who has forced his past four opponents to retire mid-fight, knows Ergashev should be a tough proposition, but he is ready.
“All battles are dangerous and this one is no exception,” he said. “I think it’s dangerous, [the same.] I believe he has never played against someone like me and that could be the difference in the final result. ”
The challenger enters the contest having not fought in 15 months, not the best preparation for his biggest and toughest test yet.
But Matthias doesn’t read too much into it.
“Lack of exercise depends on whether you keep going to the gym and work, but the most likely cause is the timing is off,” he said. “But if you have a good coach, I don’t think that will affect your preparation.”
Reminiscent of earlier this year, Matias showed great mental strength to stop previously undefeated Ponce’s early charge and then defeat him after the early attack.
“I think he started well, but to maintain that kind of fighting pace, he needed to do the following.” [not] It’s good, but it requires great training and good physical work because you’re exposing yourself to punishment,” he explained. “He probably lacked anaerobic exercise and physical strength.” [condition] And I took advantage of the situation and thanked God that we made him [retire] “I understand he wasn’t preparing for Game 12, but I think he was training to get me out there early.”
With this win, Matias achieved one of his goals by winning the vacant IBF 140-pound title, earning him praise from his fellow Puerto Rican champion.
“Becoming a champion has been a dream of mine for a long time,” he said. “Being able to celebrate the last game and go hug my girls, that’s my biggest happiness as a champion. [IBF bantamweight titleholder] Manny Rodriguez was there and his positive vibes helped me a lot. [WBO junior flyweight titlist] I am very happy that Jonathan ‘Bomba’ González sent me a message of congratulations. [Undisputed featherweight champion] Amanda Serrano uploaded a video and I was so excited because she is the queen of boxing and the face of boxing in Puerto Rico.
“It’s very satisfying and proud to be able to do something and achieve it. [I’m] I thank God for putting Juan Orengo and Pedro Cruz on my path, but from now on the most difficult thing will be to remain a champion. ”
While some look to the future, Matthias is focused on the here and now and knows he must defeat Ergashev before he can look to future goals.
“The goal is to win and I don’t expect anything else,” he said of Saturday’s fight. “What’s coming? [afterwards], I don’t know because things have happened in the last three games that are out of our control, but I’m not expecting anything. ”
Ergashev is rated the No. 9 junior welterweight by The Ring and won his first nine bouts in Russia before coming to the United States. Since then, the 31-year-old southpaw has shown glimpses of his potential, breaking the unbeaten records of Sonny Fredrickson (3 TKOs) and Mychal Fox (10 UDs). However, his team was unable to match a big name against this fighter and had to force him into a position.
This fight has classic elements between two extremely dangerous and aggressive power punchers. Whoever makes the first shot has a huge influence on who ultimately wins. I’m leaning towards Matias because while he is encouraged by his title win, Ergashev has been out of action for over a year. Matthias fought a battle of attrition, ultimately defeating his challenger in nine rounds.
The Benavidez vs. Andrade and Support undercard will take place on Showtime pay-per-view, starting at 8pm ET/5pm PT. This event can also be viewed on FITE.
Questions and comments can be directed to Anson at: [email protected].
