Subriel Matias finally has a willing opponent for his next fight.

What he doesn’t yet have, is a confirming fight date.

The Ring has confirmed that the IBF has scheduled a purse bid for its ordered junior welterweight title eliminator between Puerto Rico’s Matias and Mexico’s Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela. Their 15-day negotiation period ended without a deal in place, with the proposed matchup now the subject of a Feb. 2 hearing.

Both sides can still reach a deal during that time, up to 15 minutes before the start of the session.

Matias (21-2, 21 KOs), The Ring’s No. 6 junior welterweight contender, is promoted by Juan Orengo’s Fresh Productions. Valenzuela (30-3-1, 17 KOs) is represented by BXSTRS and international boxing figure Sean ‘VIVA’ Gibbons.

The winner will become the mandatory challenger to IBF 140-pound titlist Richardson Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs), The Ring’s No. 6 junior welterweight contender. The waiting period perimits a voluntary defense for Brooklyn’s Hitchin, who has already entered talks with The Ring/WBO junior welterweight king Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) for a desired unification bout.

As previously reported by The Ring, Matias was once in the running to next face Lopez. Had a deal been reached, they would have fought atop a March 15 Top Rank on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View event.

Matias was on board for the fight and repeatedly called out Lopez to commit. However, a fallout between Lopez and career-long promoter Top Rank led to the championship fight’s collapse.

Matias previously held the IBF 140-pound title from Feb. 2023 through last June 15.

The reign ended in an upset split decision defeat to Australia’s Liam Paro (23-0 at the time), The Ring No. 5 junior welterweight who ruined Matias’ island homecoming in Manati, Puerto Rico.

Matias rebounded with a second-round knockout of Roberto Ramirez (26-4-1, 19 KOs) last Nov. 9 in Bayamon, P.R.

Guadalajara’s Gonzalez has won five straight against a variety of opposition ranging from fringe to contender level. His last defeat came in a May 2022 majority decision to then-unbeaten Montana Love on the Dmitry Bivol-Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez undercard in Las Vegas.

The most notable win among his past five fights came in a May 2023 split decision victory over Australia’s Steve Spark (16-3, 14 KOs) in Zapopan, just outside his Guadalajara hometown. That fight also came on an Alvarez undercard, as did a Sept. 2023 win over Yeis Gabriel Solano in Las Vegas.

Two club-level fights made up his 2024 campaign, the most recent on Oct. 11 when he outpointed Jesus Lopez (16-15-3) over eight rounds at home in Guadalajara.

Jake Donovan is part of the U.S. team for The Ring. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.