Boxing
The Matchroom star comes face to face with the WBC executioner
Published
7 months agoon
It is not official that WBC welterweight champion Subriel Matias (23-2, 22 KO) will defend his title against No. 1-ranked Dalton Smith (18-0, 13 KO) on January 10, 2026 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Modern York.
Dalton Smith’s Quick Reality Check
Compared to some of the other options available to Matias, he is a mid-tier opponent. Although 28-year-old Briton Smith is undefeated, he has not faced any significant opponents in his six-year professional career at the age of 140.
Matchroom-promoted Dalton Smith quickly rose through the ranks without facing any of the welterweight heavyweights. He wasn’t much of an amateur before turning pro, finishing with an average record of 39-11 that screams average. It’s tough to say how well he will react in his first real fight against quality fighter Matias.
Former IBF 140-pound champion from Puerto Rico, Matias looked like a relentless executioner when he dethroned WBC champion Alberto Puello by 12-round majority decision earlier this year on July 12 in Queens, Modern York.
Why Brooklyn is the perfect location
Cesar Seda broke the news today about the Matias vs. Smith, which will take place on January 10, 2026 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Modern York. The venue suits Puerto Rican Matias better because many of his Modern York fans will be there. So he will have no shortage of fans who will support him in his fight against the visiting player, Smith.
Dalton’s last seven wins
- Matthew Germain
- Walid Quiz
- Józef Zepeda
- Sam Maxwell
- Billy Allington
- Kaisey Benjamin
- Sam O’maison
As you can see, Dalton Smith was not a risk taker in the face of the adversity he faced. It’s unclear whether he had anything to say about the type of adversity he faces. This is a red flag that Matchroom has matched Smith so poorly for a solid six years. No real development occurred. This was more about building a record.
🔥IT’S OFFICIAL!🔥
Subriel Matías will defend his title against Dalton Smith 🇬🇧 in Brooklyn 🥊#MatiasVsSmith #Box #SoDon’t say that pic.twitter.com/kyv0nlavm7— Cesar Seda (@cesarseda) October 27, 2025
Tom Galm has been covering the global boxing scene since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, business trends and fighter psychology.
Last update: 27/10/2025
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Boxing
Viktor Jurk stops Edwin Castillo in a few seconds and sparks an online debate
Published
2 hours agoon
May 18, 2026
A heavyweight fight that lasted mere seconds became one of the most talked about boxing clips of the weekend. Viktor Jurk knocked out Edwin Castillo with one left hand moments after the opening bell on Friday night at the SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany, in the Karen Chukhadzhian vs. Paddy Donovan IBF welterweight title eliminator bout.
The fight was broadcast DAZN internationally and at ARD in Germany. According to RingJurk, a 6-foot-9 southpaw from Flensburg, stepped to the center of the ring and threw a looping left hand that dropped Castillo to the canvas, where he stayed for a few minutes before recovering and leaving on his own.
WAS THIS THE FASTEST Knockout In The World?!?! 😱#ChukhajianDonovan | Live NOW on DAZN ▪️ pic.twitter.com/nkAXTK8iP0
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 15, 2026
Sequence
According to reports, both fighters touched gloves before the bell Fox News. As the round began, Castillo approached with his hands down and appeared to extend his left glove towards Jurek for a second time. Jurk did not respond and instead released a left hook, which ended the fight.
This sequence sparked a reaction online. Some viewers argued on X that Castillo was set up by a fraudulent glove strike. Others noted that the gloves had already been touched before the bell and that Castillo entered coverage with his hands down. Ponderous-motion replays were widely shared on Saturday, with commentators on both sides citing the same material to support different conclusions.
Jurk threw a punch, left without joy, and the referee started counting before the medical service entered the ring. Castillo, a 23-year-old Colombian, lay on his back for a long time before he was helped. For Bad left hookringside reports that he “recovered shortly thereafter”.
Records and context
Jurk improves his record to 14-0 after 12 knockouts. According to Fox News, Castillo is 13-3 (8 KOs), with all three losses coming in his last four fights. The fight was contracted for eight rounds.
The gala, billed as “Night of the Heavyweights” and promoted by Florian Winter, featured several heavyweight contenders alongside the welterweight headliner. Emanuel Odiase defeated Nick Webb in the second round to win the IBF European heavyweight title. In the main event, Donovan defeated Chukhadzhian by majority decision, securing his third meeting with IBF welterweight champion Lewis Crocker.
Comparisons
Several facilities, including: DajMeSportraised the question of whether the finish was one of the fastest in the history of professional boxing. The recognized record is generally considered to be Jimmy Thunder’s 1.5-second knockout of Crawford Grimsley in 1997. No official break time has been announced for the Jurk-Castillo fight.
Jurk did not publicly respond to the criticism. Castillo’s team has not released a statement.
Boxing
Empty seats overshadow Ronda Rousey’s return on Netflix
Published
3 hours agoon
May 18, 2026
Most Valuable Promotions held its first MMA event with Ronda Rousey, former boxers Francis Ngannou and Nate Diaz, Mike Perry, Netflix support, and one obvious problem that the cameras couldn’t completely hide.
Despite the star-studded lineup and global streaming interest, much of the arena remained empty throughout the night as MVP officially transitioned into mixed martial arts.
The atmosphere seemed strangely flat compared to the scale of the names featured.
Ronda Rousey returns
Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey needed just 17 seconds to defeat Gina Carano in the main event, defeating the women’s MMA pioneer with the trademark armbar that once made her one of combat sports’ biggest stars.
After charging across the cage almost immediately, the Olympic medalist took down Carano, then wrapped it all up with the armbar that made her eminent.
However, while the action was speedy in the cage, it was demanding to ignore the empty seats around the arena during MVP’s heavily promoted debut event.
Netflix broadcast the event worldwide as part of its deal with MVP following the success of Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and several major boxing events.
Perry defeats Diaz
In a joint feature film Mike Perry stopped Nate Diaz after two brutal rounds of welterweight trading.
Both men went at each other from the opening bell before Diaz’s corner finally stopped the penalty at the end of the second round.
After the break, Perry called for an MMA fight with Jake Paul, while agreeing to a future rematch with Diaz.
Elsewhere on the card, there was a former boxer Francis Ngannou he crushed Philipe Lins in the first round, then immediately renewed calls for a future showdown with Jon Jones.
Salahdine Parnasse impressed in his US debut, stopping Kenneth Cross in the first round, while “Massive Boy” Robelis Despaigne knocked out Junior Dos Santos in another explosive heavyweight finish.
Empty arena
For MVP, the event was still another attempt to prove that the company could transcend boxing.
But the empty seats were an uncomfortable reminder of reality. Outside of the UFC banner, even Netflix, Ngannou, Rousey, Diaz and Perry weren’t enough to fill the building.
MVP was already a huge boxing streaming success with Netflix, but the optics surrounding his first MMA release told a completely different story.
Dana White won’t be shaking in her boots.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
Keith Connolly claims the arrival of Zuffa Boxing changed the direction of Conor Benn’s career and changed negotiations with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom.
“The offer was many times higher than what they were offering,” Connolly said, discussing Benn’s departure from Matchroom. “People thought there was no competition at the time because DAZN was the only game in town and Zuffa came along around the time Conor was going into free agency.”
Connolly believes Benn entered free agency right when a fresh player entered the market.
“I think maybe people miscalculated that it was the only show in town and that there would be no other offers. It’s possible. And then a huge offer came along and that’s where we are,” Connolly told iFL TV.
Connolly said Benn’s team met with Matchroom before making their decision, but said the figures discussed did not match the final offer they received elsewhere.
“We had one in Recent York the week of Teofimo-Shakur and we told them what we expected. They scored much lower than we thought. Since he was a free agent, we decided to test the market.”
The discussion also touched on the breakdown in communication that followed Benn’s departure from Matchroom. Connolly defended the decision to send the offer by email rather than handle everything privately over the phone.
“We protected ourselves legally by emailing the offer as to what we should do,” Connolly said. “This is the mechanism that should be used when you receive an offer where the promoter has the rights.”
Connolly added that Benn still wanted Hearn involved once a fresh deal was finalized.
“We still want you on the team,” Connolly said. “Conor wanted Eddie in the band.”

Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist covering this sport since 2014, providing reports from the ring and technical analyzes of the most essential fights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments and the details that shape high-level competition.
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