BoxRec

IBF orders purse bid for Matias-Ergashev title fight

The IBF on Thursday ordered an Aug. 15 purse bid for a junior welterweight title fight between its champion, Subriel Matias, and mandatory challenger Shohjahon Ergashev, according to a letter obtained by ESPN.

The typical purse split for IBF title fights is 85-15 in favor of the champion, but the split for this matchup will be 70-30 after Ergashev's promoter, Dmitry Salita, petitioned the organization.

Matias was lined up for a fight with former 140-pound titleholder Sergey Lipinets after Ergashev agreed to a step-aside deal, but those plans later changed.

"There was an agreement from Matias' camp and PBC/TGB with Lipinets," Lipinets' manager, Alex Vaysfeld, told ESPN. "There was no problem with putting that fight on. Salita decided to enforce Ergashev's position to fight Matias and the IBF didn't oppose Salita's demands. PBC offered a deal to Salita to step aside and Ergashev would fight the winner.

"No one deserves the fight with Matias more than Sergey Lipinets, being an ex-IBF champ, and stylistically that would have been a pleasure to watch."

Instead, it will be Ergashev (23-0, 20 KOs) who lands his first title shot. The 31-year-old from Uzbekistan has never faced a top fighter, but Salita said that's because Ergashev is a dangerous southpaw puncher.

"We agreed to the step-aside deal and then there was an email from Tom Brown [promoter of PBC fights] to the IBF stating that they no longer wanted an exception, they wanted to go straight to the mandatory," Salita said. "We were going to do a stay-busy fight on the undercard of Matias-Lipinets. We agreed to that deal. We were good with either option."

Salita said Ergashev is training with Sugar Hill Steward, who is Tyson Fury's trainer, and Theo Chambers, who works with Jake Paul.

"It's been very difficult to line up big names for him to fight," Salita said. "And we knew the only way to get him on the elite level was to get him in the mandatory position. About six months ago when he was rated No. 3, we went through the list of ranked fighters two times and no one wanted to fight him."

Now, one of the most electrifying action fighters in boxing has stepped up to the assignment. Matias (20-1, 19 KOs) is ESPN's No. 6 boxer at 140 pounds, a volume-punching machine with power in both hands.

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican captured the vacant title in February with a fifth-round TKO of Jeremias Ponce.

Later this month, the rights to the Matias- Ergashev fight will be auctioned off after the sides couldn't strike a deal.

PBC didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Same this.

Matias was going to defend against Lipinets.

Purse bids postponed

TGB with the win here, $510k. Presumably a fall PBC show?

my man subriel speciliizes in taking dem 0s, think he'll do it again although sho has a serious straight left hand and is a dangerous opponent

Decent bid.

Salita Promotions, Ergashev’s promoter posted a $225,000 bid.

Matias is entitled to 70 percent ($357,000).

Ergashev is due the remaining 30 percent ($153,000).

Looking likely October 14

Subriel Matias-Shohjahon Ergashev IBF Title Fight Set For November 4

A date is now attached for a long in-play mandatory title fight.

Boxing Scene has learned that the Subriel Matias-Shohjahon Ergashev IBF junior welterweight title bout will take place November 4 as part of a Showtime Championship Boxing event. A location was not yet finalized as this goes to publication.

Puerto Rico’s Matias (19-1, 19 KOs) will attempt the first defense of the title he claimed in a fifth-round stoppage of unbeaten Jeremias Ponce on Februay 25 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their bout came with the vacant belt at stake in lieu of the final leg of a previously ordered four-man box-off to determine the mandatory challenger to then-champ Josh Taylor (19-1, 13 KOs).

There were rumors that Matias would face former titlist Sergey Lipinets in a voluntary title defense, with both parties previously on board for the fight. However, it was never approved by the IBF, who ruled on June 28 that Matias must next face Ergashev as his mandatory challenger.

Ergashev (23-0, 20 KOs) was prepared to enter his first title eliminator but could not find a willing opponent after the IBF ran through the entire Top 15 junior welterweight rankings. The 31-year-old Uzbek, now based in Detroit, has struggled to secure willing opponents as he has advanced from prospect to contender under Dmitriy Salita’s Salita Promotions.

His most notable win to date came in a ten-round, unanimous decision over Mykal Fox in their February 2019 battle of unbeaten prospects. Six wins have followed, most recently an eight-round decision over Luis Alberto Veron in a stay-busy fight last May 26 in his adopted Detroit hometown.

TGB Promotions secured promotional rights to the fight through an August 22 purse bid, submitting $510,000 to outpace Salita Promotion’s $225,000 bid. Matias is entitled to the favorable end of a 70-30 purse split as the defending titleholder.

Fight week!!

Good win for Matias

matias has won 5 straight fights by corner retirement, that is quite the streak. he just breaks guys. the tragic dadshev fight was a corner retirement too

PBC fights are nigh impossible to find on YouTube, the highlights they put up are garbage and they never upload the fights on their channel until years later

did you see matty's last fight, vs the argie dude who beat ritson? it was very similar to that. strong first round and a half for ergashev, but cant dent mat. mat keeps coming and quickly starts breaking his man down with heavy inside and mid range shots

he's like the terminator, just keeps coming. the loss to anyanan is such an abberation, im guessing he was mentally still shook from the dadashev fight

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑30 Nov 2023, 18:02 matias has won 5 straight fights by corner retirement, that is quite the streak. he just breaks guys. the tragic dadshev fight was a corner retirement too

What was Loma’s record, 4 straight fights?

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑30 Nov 2023, 18:30 did you see matty's last fight, vs the argie dude who beat ritson? it was very similar to that. strong first round and a half for ergashev, but cant dent mat. mat keeps coming and quickly starts breaking his man down with heavy inside and mid range shots

he's like the terminator, just keeps coming. the loss to anyanan is such an abberation, im guessing he was mentally still shook from the dadashev fight

Yeh Ponce I seen that fight, Ponce quit but Matias making a habit of people doing that