Dalton Smith handed the UK another world champion on a night no British boxing fan will soon forget.
Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) stopped Subriel Matias in Round 5 to dethrone him of his WBC super lightweight title Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
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Smith, who previously held European, Commonwealth and British titles, had never fought at the world level, despite winning all of the division’s domestic belts.
“It was the first time in my career I was the underdog,” Smith said afterward. “Put me against a monster, and you will not bring the little girl out of me; you will bring the monster, like I said. Bring on the challengers. I am now world champion. I am one of the best.”
It’s common for Puerto Rico’s Matias (23-3, 22 KOs) to give up early rounds in his fights so he can warm into the contest and wait for his opponents to slow down, and it was no different against Smith. The Englishman dominated the opener, establishing his jab and punishing Matias with right hands. Matias, 33, generally waits a few rounds before he increases the pressure, but on Saturday he needed just one round, as Matias began to up the tempo from Round 2 onward.
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Liam Paro found success moving and holding when he outboxed Matias in 2024 to dethrone him of his super lightweight title. Smith started with a similar approach Saturday, but ultimately decided it wasn’t for him; instead, Smith met Matias head-on. Matias is a renowned pressure fighter, and the majority of observers felt if Smith were to defeat Matias, trading with him wouldn’t be the way to do it — but Smith shocked even the most well-educated of boxing fans.
Smith, 28, began to predominantly hold his feet and exchange with Matias on the inside and at midrange. It was a dangerous strategy, with Matias finding ample success at close range, particularly with his left hook. A cut opened up over Smith’s left eye as well in Round 3.
But Smith appeared to trouble Matias momentarily at the end of Round 4, connecting with a hook and following up with a combination. He carried that momentum into Round 5, stumbling Matias with a flurry, then continuing to force Matias onto the back foot and along the ring ropes.
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Matias and Smith exchanged power shots and brutal combinations in what turned into a slugfest in Round 5. In the final minute of the session, Smith rocked Matias with a pair of right hands — the second one visibly knocking back the head of the now-former champ. Matias decided to remain in punching range and fire back, but ultimately walked into an overhand right that sent him to the canvas. A stumbling Matias beat the count, but the referee decided he was in no fit state to continue.
“What he did tonight was incredible, because he beat Matias at his own game,” Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn proclaimed afterward. “Dalton Smith just announced himself as the new superstar in the 140-pound division.”
Check out full Smith vs. Matias results and highlights below, as well as Uncrowned’s play-by-play of the main card.
Fight card
WBC super lightweight title: Dalton Smith def. Subriel Matias via fifth-round TKO | Watch video
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Bantamweight: Emmanuel Rodriguez def. Fernando Diaz via unanimous decision (97-92, 99-90, 99-90)
Bantamweight: Jeyvier Cintron def. Víctor Sandoval via first-round KO | Watch video
Junior Welterweight: Nestor Bravo def. Pedro Campa via second-round KO | Watch video
Featherweight: Keith Colon def. Alberto Guevara via seventh-round TKO
Light Heavyweight: Arjan Iseni def. Mario Bedolla Orozco via third-round TKO (corner stoppage)
Live coverage is over40 updates
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 8:48 PM PST
Darshan Desai
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 8:35 PM PST
Darshan Desai
Smith stumbles back as Matias lands a combination. Back comes Smith with a flurry of shots of his own. Smith continues to walk Matias backward and lands a nice body shot. The Brit is not fazed at all. Double left hook from Smith. Matias fires back on the inside, Smith responds. WHAT A FIGHT! They continue to trade power shots. Surprisingly, it’s Matias on the backfoot and on the ropes. Smith is cut around the left eye. Left hooks are finding a home for Smith. Matias is ROCKED! One-two lands for Smith. Another huge overhand right. DOWN GOES MATIAS! Matias gets up but he is wobbling and this one is over! The referee won’t let him continue. What an upset.
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 8:29 PM PST
Darshan Desai
Smith is happy to meet Matias head-on and try and connect with his big rights. Matias is more than happy to fight like this, though. Left hook-right hand lands for Smith. Matias counters. Uppercut-hook from Matias on the inside, Smith takes it. Smith is landing some strong shots up close. He is trying to beat Matias at his own fight. Left hands connecting for Matias. Smith continues to fire at Matias with power shots. Really exciting stuff here! HUGE left hook lands for Smith. And again with the hook. What a fight! HARD combo from Smith to end the frame.
10-9 Smith, 39-37 Smith
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Sat, January 10, 2026 at 8:25 PM PST
Smith opens Round 3 with a three-punch combination. Combination on the inside lands for Smith. Smith is fighting with his heart rather than his head — he is brawling with Matias. Smith scores with a right. Shots landing for both in an exchange early in the second minute. Shots on the inside connecting for Matias. More rights connecting on the guard for Smith. Body shot fired by Smith. Nice left hook success for Matias. Smith will trade with him in the center of the ring. Matias is getting the better of it, though. Nice combo from Smith to end the frame.
10-9 Matias, 29-28 Smith
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 8:21 PM PST
Darshan Desai
Jabs from both connect early in Round 2. Smith knocks the head back with a right. Right hand-left hook connects for Smith. One-two lands for Smith. Smith is holding quite a bit now as the crowd starts to boo. Another right finds a home for Smith. They exchange on the inside. Uppercut, hook lands for Matias. Smith comes back with left hooks of his own and now lifts the head up with an uppercut. Smith is no longer moving and holding, but is content to trade with Matias already. Dangerous strategy.
10-9 Smith, 20-18 Smith
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 8:17 PM PST
Darshan Desai
It’s Puerto Rico vs. Britain for the world title.
Kell Brook, who hails from the same Sheffield city as Dalton Smith, traveled to the US to upset Shawn Porter all those years ago. Can Smith replicate Brook tonight against Subriel Matias?
One-two from Smith early. Now, to the body, goes Smith. NICE right connects for Smith in the first 30 seconds of the opener, but Matias ate it. The jab from Smith is strong, and another overhand right connects. Matias has done little in terms of offence. He is walking Smith down but not punching. Now, he walks into an uppercut from the Brit. Smith continues to land his jab. Smith is dominating the opener but Matias is happy to let Smith expend his energy.
10-9 Smith
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 8:11 PM PST
Darshan Desai
We are just seconds away from the first bell for the world title main event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 8:07 PM PST
Darshan Desai
Subriel Matias, the defending WBC super lightweight champion, is now ring walking.
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 8:05 PM PST
Darshan Desai
We are ready for the main event. Dalton Smith walks out to the iconic Arctic Monkeys song “When The Sun Goes Down.”
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 7:57 PM PST
Darshan Desai
We are just a few minutes away from the world title main event ring walks.
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 7:50 PM PST
Darshan Desai
Puerto Rico’s Subriel Matias defends his WBC super lightweight title against his unbeaten mandatory challenger, Britain’s Dalton Smith, in the evening’s main event.
Matias (23-2, 22 KOs) captured the WBC super lightweight championship with a majority decision victory over Alberto Puello this past July in New York. Smith (18-0, 13 KOs) is a former British, Commonwealth and European champion.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 12: Subriel Matias reacts after defeating Alberto Puello during their super lightweight title fight at Louis Armstrong Stadium on July 12, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy/Getty Images)
(Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy via Getty Images)
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 7:42 PM PST
Darshan Desai
Emmanuel Rodriguez defeats Fernando Diaz by unanimous decision (97-92, 99-90, 99-90) in their bantamweight contest to end a 20-month layoff and return to winning ways at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 7:36 PM PST
Darshan Desai
Round 8 produced more action than the first six combined.
Diaz and Rodriguez were trading heavy punches throughout the three-minute stanza, although left hooks and body shots from Rodriguez were the picks of the session. Diaz’s come-forward approach starting from Round 7 has made this fight a lot more fun.
Round 9 was more in favor of Rodriguez with Diaz being troubled on a couple of occasions, but still, Diaz continued to slug it out with the former champ.
One to go in New York!
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 7:29 PM PST
Darshan Desai
Fernando Diaz might’ve just put everything he had into Round 7.
“There’s no tomorrow,” Diaz was told in the corner after a three-minute spring where he forced Rodriguez backward with regularity and put a ton of pressure on the former champ in the frame.
It was an interesting twist in this fight. Rodriguez was in control through six frames, but surges from Diaz in the seventh have made this interesting.
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 7:25 PM PST
Darshan Desai
Emmanuel Rodriguez is 60-53 up on Uncrowned’s unofficial scorecard. The Puerto Rican has won every round, but Mexico’s Fernando Diaz is still game. He is forcing the action and landing his own shots. It’s proving to be a solid return fight for Rodriguez.
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 7:22 PM PST
Darshan Desai
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 7:14 PM PST
Darshan Desai
Emmanuel Rodriguez is by far the best fighter Fernando Diaz has faced — and it’s been clear through three rounds.
Rodriguez, who floored Diaz in Round 1 with a left hook, is dominating the action with his jab that is being delivered with too much speed and precision for Diaz to brace for.
Rodriguez hasn’t fought for almost 20 months. This was his comeback fight, and so far, it looks like he still has something left to give to the sport.
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 7:11 PM PST
Darshan Desai
The main event is expected by the top of the hour.
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 7:05 PM PST
Darshan Desai
A left hook counter from the former champion Emmanuel Rodriguez floored Fernando Diaz in the final minute of the opening round. Diaz wasn’t too hurt and managed to get to his feet comfortably, although another left hook from Rodriguez troubled Diaz later in the round.
- Sat, January 10, 2026 at 7:00 PM PST
Darshan Desai
Emmanuel Rodriguez (22-3, 13 KOs) battles Fernando Diaz (16-6-1, 6 KOs) in a ten-round bantamweight clash.
