Subriel Matias says he’ll be gunning for Regis Prograis after taking care of Jeremias Ponce

With Subriel Matias set to headline on Showtime this weekend in a fight against Jeremias Ponce, Matias says he’s looking to start off a big year for his native Puerto Rico by claiming the vacant IBF 140 pound title with hopes of more accolades for the island to come this year.

“I represent both my country of Puerto Rico and my city of Fajardo each time I step into the ring,” said Matias. “When I win on February 25, it will only be the beginning of a glorious year for Puerto Rican sports. Not only will I be world champion, but hopefully we’ll win the World Baseball Classic so we can all rejoice.”

In order to have things go his way, however, Matias will have to get past Ponce, who Matias admits is a bit of an awkward opponent.

“Ponce is tough and he possesses a unique style,” said Matias. “I would compare him to Marcos Maidana, who’s shocked the boxing world plenty of times. I don’t see a lot of people similar to him in boxing nowadays. Ponce is a great fighter, and I respect both him and Argentina. But my goal is to not let this fight go the distance.”

Matias set up camp in the remote area of Jiquipilco, Mexico leading into this fight, and he says the seclusion has paid dividends with his ability to focus on the task at hand.

“Being in this location has helped me find the peace and focus that I needed to be ready for this fight,” said Matias. “I’ve had great sparring that’s helped me prepare for a lot of different styles and I’ve been running six times a week.”

Once Matias gets this fight out the way, he’ll soon look to get back with his family that includes a newborn, as he’ll look to take on a much bigger opponent in Regis Prograis afterwards.

“My youngest daughter was born a week after my last fight, so I was only able to be with her for three months,” said Matias. “We keep in touch constantly, but the first thing I’m going to do after the fight is spend time with my three daughters. I’m blessed to have three beautiful princesses that fill my heart, and it’s my duty to take care of them.

“When I finish this fight with my arm raised high I’ll have only one name in mind: Regis Prograis,” Matias continued. “Prograis thinks that he’s the only character in boxing, and I respect him a lot. But I want to show him that there are people in this world that can be even crazier than he is.”