Subriel Matias felt like he let his Puerto Rican people down back in June of 2024 against Liam Paro. Since then, however, he’s made them proud.

In front of his hometown fans, Matias (22-2, 22 KOs) made it two wins in a row on Saturday night, stopping Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela at 2:55 in the 8th round.

Once the opening bell rang, it was the same old song and dance for a Matias fight. He isn’t the fastest starter in the world, so it wasn’t surprising to see him struggle in the first two rounds. In the third frame, things were different.

After downloading the information needed, Matias came out aggressive. He threw all of his defensive responsibilities out the window and hurled as many combinations as he could. At the halfway point of that round, Matias cracked him with a left hand. As Valenzuela (30-3-1, 17 KOs) was pushed around the ring, Matias kept coming. Luckily for the fringe contender, he was saved by the bell. In the fifth, nevertheless, Matias picked up exactly where he left off.

Already a bloody mess, Valenzuela did his best to protect his damaged left eye. He could have opted to hold but he found more pleasure in fighting. Valenzuela, to his credit, proved that his chin was made out of steel as he stood up just fine to his best shots.

Although he normally plods forward, Matias used some tricky and fancy footwork, something that the crowd enjoyed. Valenzuela, to start the fifth, was checked by the ringside doctor but that was only temporary. He talked his way out of the concern that was etched onto the doc's face and fought like a man who knew he needed to turn things around.

Adrenaline flowed through Valenzuela's veins. He came out swinging as soon as the bell rang. Matias, to a certain extent, seemed surprised by his toughness but continued to punish him.

The start of the 7th appeared to be the end as the ringside doctor once again walked onto the apron to take a long look at Valenzuela. Somehow, someway, he once again convinced them that he could continue.

With a look of annoyance, Matias did his best to push the pace in the 8th. This time around, Valenzuela's will was unable to carry him any further. While he did manage to crawl back to his feet, Valenzuela's corner threw in the towel, officially handing Matias the victory with just a few seconds remaining.

In the co-main event, Javier Fortuna, at the age of 35, might be just about done at the elite level. The former world champion was stopped at the end of eighth against Alfredo Santiago.