January is usually reserved for repairing bank balances and pretending the holiday weight damage never happened. When it comes to boxing, it has traditionally been a month of delicate awakening – an odd card here, a stray rival there – before the sport gets back on track from February.
January 2026, however, has other ideas. With over a dozen multi-broadcaster shows and no less than eight world title fights on the schedule, the year is off to a flying start. If you’re not sure where to focus your attention, Boxing News can facilitate. Here are five world title fights you simply can’t miss this month.
January 10: Subriel Matias vs. Dalton Smith – WBC super lightweight title (PPV.com)
We start in Brooklyn, where Puerto Rican pressure machine Subriel Matias is defending his WBC title against Britain’s Dalton Smith. Matias – allowed to fight despite a recent positive anti-doping test – he is one of the most ruthless fighters in the sport, a ruthless force that seeks to drown his opponents under constant, punishing pressure.
Smith emerges as a polished, composed player but remains unproven at the elite world level. Britain has produced a steady stream of top-class 140-pound champions in the state-of-the-art era – Ricky Hatton and Josh Taylor among them – but following in those footsteps will require discipline, precision and nerves of steel. Matias will want to thwart the Sheffield player’s game plan and turn the fight into a war of attrition. Whether Smith can resist this strength is what makes this a fascinating start to the year.
January 24: Raymond Muratalla vs. Andy Cruz – IBF lightweight title (DAZN)
Titles won outside the ropes are always associated with an asterisk by fans. For Raymond Muratalla, this is a chance to dispel any doubts and justify his rise by defeating one of the sport’s most highly regarded newcomers.
Andy Cruz looked every bit the future world champion, even though he had only had six professional fights. The Cuban amateur standout has made a sleek transition into the paid ranks, offering elite timing, footwork and shot selection. Muratalla’s relaxed, attacking style will need to be edged and true from the first bell, as Cruz rarely gives second chances. Expect a high-level, technically affluent match with world-class striking throughout.
January 31: Xander Zayas vs. Abass Baraou – WBO/WBA super welterweight title unification (broadcaster TBC)
Abass Baraou is another fighter crowned without throwing a punch, but legitimacy is earned the demanding way, and Xander Zayas is eager to make a statement to Puerto Rico’s partisan crowd.
Zayas enjoys home court advantage in his secondary defense and will look to box intelligent, moving in and out of range while eliminating the German pressure fighter. However, Baraou is persistent, aggressive and persistent. If Zayas doesn’t manage to discourage him by force, this could turn into a grueling and very entertaining case. Don’t be surprised if this information comes up in Fight of the Year discussions early.
January 31: Bakhram Murtazaliev vs. Josh Kelly – IBF super welterweight title (DAZN)
The 154lb division once again takes center stage in a wild night of action in both the UK and USA. In Newcastle, brutal Russian champion Bakhram Murtazaliev poses a grave threat in Britain’s Josh Kelly’s backyard.
It’s a familiar scenario: a devastating blow versus a skillful, ambitious striker that brings back memories Kovalev-Cleverly in Cardiff over ten years ago. Kelly will be desperate to avoid a similar fate. His world title potential has been discussed since the day he turned professional, but his first championship assignment couldn’t have been more tough. This is a real sink or swim moment.
January 31: Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson – WBO super lightweight title (DAZN)
The biggest fight of the month – and arguably the most intriguing – is saved for last. Two elite operators, long touted as future all-time greats, collide with more than just a belt on the line. It’s about status, hierarchy and positioning pound for pound.
Lopez will need something special to outsmart and outmaneuver one of the sharpest boxing minds in the sport. Meanwhile, Stevenson will look to assert control and prove his superiority at the weight. It won’t be reckless chaos or action-packed mayhem, but it will be elite-level boxing in its purest form – the type of fight you simply can’t look away from.
