Subriel Matias now has an opponent AND fight date.

The Ring has confirmed that a deal was reached between Puerto Rico’s Matias and Mexico’s Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela for an ordered IBF 140-pound title eliminator. The working date for their meeting is March 1 Puerto Rico, though the terms already agreed to were enough for the IBF to cancel a scheduled Feb. 4 purse bid hearing.

Matias (21-2, 21 KOs), The Ring’s No. 6 junior welterweight contender, and Valenzuela (30-3-1, 17 KOs) were first instructed to enter talks on Jan. 11. The 15-day negotiation period ended without a firm deal in place, which prompted the IBF to take action.

Fresh Boxing Productions and BXTSRS, the respective promoters for Matias and Valenzuela, continued to work behind the scenes to hammer out a deal. It has led to what will now mark Matias’ third straight fight on his home island.

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 permits a voluntary defense for Brooklyn’s Hitchins, 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 previously in talks 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. 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), who ruined Matias’ 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 Valenzuela 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.