Dalton Smith is a tough and proud man.

At no point has the thought of quitting ever crossed his mind. Subriel Matias can appreciate his warrior mentality. However, he doesn't believe that trend will continue when they lock horns for Matias' WBC junior welterweight world title on January 10.

"I think he's gonna quit," Matias told FightHype.com recently. "I don’t think it will go past 10."

Winning by any means necessary has been a consistent theme Smith (18-0, 13 KOs) has stressed when asked about the matchup during an extended build-up.

Venue and date changes — from November to January — mean The Ring's No. 7 welterweight contender will venture to Brooklyn's Barclays Center for a rare fight on the road and his first professional appearance outside Europe.

He added wins over Walid Ouizza (KO1) and Mathieu Germain (UD12) in 2025, building momentum to boost his confidence after many took note of how easily he bulldozed former title challenger Jose Zepeda the previous March.

Matias (23-2, 22 KOs) relishes a chance to break his opponent's will. Most of the time, opponents have wilted under his relentless pressure and he has the record to show for it.

Still, those knockouts haven't made him irrational.

While Matias believes he possesses more power than Smith, he's not naive enough to believe that he's the only one who can end their fight with one shot.

"I don't think this fight is gonna make it 12 rounds," Matias said. "He's got the style and power to knock me out and I can too, so it's not gonna make it the distance."