Dmitriy Salita believes former IBF junior welterweight titleholder Subriel Matias has a marquee New York fight with a big-name opponent in his future.

Matias will face Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela on Saturday at Coliseo Tomas Dones in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The bout, which will take place in Matias’ hometown, will be fought for the No. 1 contender spot and the right to challenge Richardson Hitchins, who now holds the belt that once belonged to Matias.

The 32-year-old Matias, 21-2 (21 KOs), had an interesting 2024. He fought in Puerto Rico against Liam Paro and lost a unanimous decision, immediately dropping his belt. It was far from the high hopes many had for Matias leading into the bout. Matias, whose wins have all come by knockout, is a fearsome puncher who had appeared almost unstoppable until tangling with the elusive, high-volume-punching Paro.

Salita, with whom Matias recently signed a co-promotional agreement, has strong hopes for the fighter’s future with his company. The promoter notes that New York City has had a strong bond with Puerto Rican fighters in the past.

“He has a pretty cool personality, and I believe that the community in New York City will connect with him,” Salita told BoxingScene when discussing Matias. “Even though he's been around, he still has a lot to grow as a brand and he'll fit right into the big fights.”

Salita was ringside in 2023 when Matias stopped Shohjahon Ergashev, an undefeated fighter he promoted in 2023. Matias left an impression on him. 

“I saw ringside how strong he is and the skill he has,” Salita said. “He's not flashy, but he has a very good, solid defense.”

Salita has pulled out the stops for his recent signee. Last week, Matias-Valenzuela received a full-blown virtual press conference – not unlike that for WBA lightweight titleholder Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach Jnr, the major pay-per-view fight of the week. Salita made it clear that Matias-Valenzuela will end before the Davis-Roach main event starts.

“We'd like to plan the fight so that the times will not collide,” Salita said. “Matias will fight sometime before Gervonta walks into the ring. It's a great night for boxing.”

Matias enters the fight after a bounce-back second-round technical knockout of Roberto Ramirez. Mexico’s 30-year-old Valenzuela, 30-3-1 (17 KOs), is on a five-fight winning streak that includes a win over Steve Spark.

If Matias does his part Saturday, Salita envisions big fights for him.

“Can you imagine him in fights with Teofimo Lopez, Richardson Hitchins, Ryan Garcia or Devin Haney,” Salita said. “These are huge fights.”

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.