Top 140-pound contenders Subriel Matias (18-1, 18 KOs) and Jeremias Ponce (30-0, 20 KOs) battle it out for the vacant IBF super lightweight title live on Showtime from The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Saturday, February 25. Ahead of the event Showtime Sports has released a video feature that will air during the telecast showcasing the dedication, sacrifice and determination that the fighters have shown on their paths to this world championship opportunity.
In the video feature produced by Nick Manning, Matias opens up about the past nine months that he has spent away from his three daughters and native Puerto Rico while training in Jiquipilco, Mexico. With the opportunity of a lifetime on the horizon, Matias feels that the sacrifice will be well worth it in the end.
“The idea to be here for so long came from my promoter [Juan Orengo] and everything the man does works out for the best,” says Matias. “It’s been hard for me because I have three daughters, but at the end of the tunnel, I know this sacrifice will be worth it.”
Ponce, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, details his journey training under longtime coach Alberto Zacarias, a legendary figure in Argentine boxing history whose father trained world champions Juan Martín “Látigo” Coggi and Víctor Palma. As Ponce prepares to make his U.S. debut, he believes he has what it takes to become a world champion himself.
“I am not going on holiday, I’m going there to win,” says the 26-year-old. “He is a very good boxer, but I am going to win this fight. On February 25, I will be the world champion.”
In Australia, the event airs live on Sunday, February 26.
Get Matias vs Ponce full fight card and start time.
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