If Regis Prograis’ plan unfolds as designed, he’ll get a title unification fight by the end of his three-bout deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.

The first fight of that contract is scheduled for Saturday night in Prograis’ hometown of New Orleans. Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) will make his first defense of the WBC super lightweight title against Puerto Rico’s Danielito Zorrilla (17-1, 13 KOs) in a 12-round main event DAZN will stream from Smoothie King Center (8 p.m. EDT; 5 p.m. PDT).

The heavily favored Progais has his longer-range sights set on IBF junior welterweight champ Subriel Matias. Matias (19-1, 19 KOs) won the then-vacant IBF 140-pound championship by stopping Argentina’s Jeremias Ponce (30-1, 20 KOs) after the fifth round February 25 at The Armory in Minneapolis.

“The plan is we’re gonna fight in New Orleans first and then Texas the second time, San Antonio or maybe even Houston,” Prograis told BoxingScene.com. “Probably [against] a Hispanic fighter. And then after that, I would think to go for the belt. [Hearn has talked] to Matias and I think that’s the route that I’m gonna go, try to get that belt.”

The 34-year-old Prograis has been criticized for signing with Hearn’s company and DAZN over Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. and ESPN because the strong southpaw could’ve fought the winner of the Teofimo Lopez-Josh Taylor fight or longtime target Jose Ramirez had he picked Top Rank. Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs), who beat Taylor by unanimous decision on Saturday night in New York, Taylor (19-1, 13 KOs) and Ramirez (28-1, 18 KOs) are all promoted by Top Rank.

Matias has fought on Premier Boxing Champions’ cards the past three years, and his next fight is also going to take place with PBC - on August 26 against for world champion Sergey Lipinets.

Matias' promotional status is unknown. It was well reported that he was a free agent and exploring his options for the last few months, but news broke on Friday that he accepted PBC's offer to face Lipinets. It has not been established if the agreement is part of a bigger multi-fight deal with PBC or if Matias will remain a free agent in the aftermath of that defense.

“I heard Matias call me out when I was still going through the whole Probellum disruption,” Prograis said in reference to his former promoter. “But I couldn’t really say nothing about him then. And then I was a free agent, so I had to be quiet. But, you know, Eddie told me, ‘[Matias is] a free agent and we’re trying to get him. That’s a fight for you.’ And I was like, ‘All right.’ And that’s kind of another reason I signed with Eddie, because that’s a fight that I want.

“I really feel like besides myself, he’s one of the most dangerous people at 140 right now. And I like challenges. I do want that fight. So, like I said, after this fight I don’t know who Eddie will want me to fight. But the third fight I think will be Matias, you know, in a unification fight. I don’t know for sure, but that’s what I’m thinking.”

Matias impressed Prograis by the way he beat Ponce, but Prograis pointed out that the hard-hitting Puerto Rican champion has a lot more to prove.

“I think he’s pretty good,” Prograis said. “I don’t think he has the resume yet. I don’t think he’s fought a name to really be up there with me. He doesn’t have that resume yet, but just looking at him style-wise, I think he’s up there.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.