“I’m Going to Bring Out the Little Girl You Got Inside”: Subriel Matias Sends Cold Message to Dalton Smith in Brooklyn

Subriel Matias says he’s going to bring out “The little girl” in Dalton Smith when he defends his WBC light welterweight title against him on January 10, 2026, on DAZN at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The two fighters met today for their kickoff press conference to discuss their upcoming clash.

A Brit Steps into Deep Waters

The Eddie Hearn-promoted #1 WBC contender Smith (18-0, 13 KOs) is challenging for a world title for the first time in his six-year pro career. His best win thus far was a 12-round unanimous decision against Mathieu Germain on April 19, 2025.

Dalton, 28, has been fighting at the British level since starting out in 2019, and it’s questionable how he’ll do taking a step up against world-class competition for the first time. Hearn has done a good job of bringing Smith along, matching him carefully to avoid any setbacks to get him to this point.

“What makes you a true warrior is you get knocked down, you dust yourself off, and you become a better person,” said Subriel Matias during today’s kickoff press conference for his fight against Dalton Smith on January 10, 2026. “This is about growth. It just makes you a lot better, and it prepares you for the next challenge.

Matias Turns Up the Heat Early

“I’m going to bring out the little girl you got inside,” said Matias to Smith.

This is the 33-year-old Puerto Rico-born Matias’s first defense of his WBC title that he won last summer, beating Alberto Puello by a 12-round majority decision on July 12, 2025, in Queens, New York. Their fight was one of the best on the card.

“We’ll see, ” said Dalton in response. “This is the biggest fight of my career, and there is one thing Subriel will bring out in me. That’s the monster inside me. In the biggest stage of boxing, you have to be at your best. We’ll see on January 10th.”

Smith’s Moment of Truth

We haven’t seen Smith fight anyone with the kind of power, pressure, and stamina that Matias will be bringing to this fight on January 10th. It’s going to be interesting to see how well he handles the heat that Matias is going to be putting on him in this fight.

“The fighters he’s faced, none of them are me, and I’ll show you on January 10th. I consider myself the real deal,” said Matias.