Subriel Matias is looking to bring back “No-Mas-Tias.”

Matias will face Dalton Smith in his first WBC junior welterweight title defense on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

A two-time titleholder, Matias, 23-2 (22 KOs), is a fearsome pressure fighter who reigned terror during his IBF title reign. He saw six straight opponents retire in their corner, including unbeaten fighters Malik Hawkins, Batyrzhan Jukembayev, Shohjahon Ergashev and Jeremias Nicolas Ponce, whom Matias beat to win the vacant IBF title.

During that stretch, Matias – a 33-year-old from Fajardo, Puerto Rico – referred to himself as “No-Mas-Tias.” It was a nod to Sugar Ray Leonard’s famously making Roberto Duran say “no mas” and quit on his stool – and not unlike three-division titleholder Vasiliy Lomachenko once called himself “No-Mas-Chenko” after several corner stoppage victories. Now Matias wants to channel that spirit yet again.

“We are in search of the No-Mas-Tias,” he told BoxingScene via a translator. “Dalton Smith says he is not going to run, which is good.”

The only man Matias beat who wasn’t undefeated during his stoppage run from 2020 to 2023 was Petros Ananyan, who was also the only fighter until then who had beaten him. Two fights before he lost to Ananyan, Matias burst on the scene by stopping undefeated prospect Maxim Dadashev. Buddy McGirt, Dadashev’s trainer, halted the bout in the corner before the 12th round started, but the damage had been done: Dadashev tragically passed away days later.

It can be hard to square the punishment and risk in boxing, which is, after all, dependent on both. But Matias is choosing to lean into his alter ego ahead of Saturday.

"We are already, in a matter of thought, transforming ourselves into what is malice,” Matias said. “Malice to cause harm, malice to protect. We are in war mode.”

Matias lost his IBF title in 2024 to Liam Paro in a Puerto Rican homecoming fight. Since the defeat, he has fought three times. He had two stoppage victories in Puerto Rico before his majority decision win over titleholder Alberto Puello in July to win the WBC junior welterweight title.

Smith, 18-0 (13 KOs), will be fighting for a world title for the first time. A 28-year-old from Sheffield, England, Smith has fought outside of England only once before – in Italy, in his third professional bout. Dating back to 2022, he has fought between three hubs in England: Manchester, Nottingham and his hometown of Sheffield. His most recent bout was a 12-round unanimous decision over Mathieu Germain in April. Since February, when he was named the WBC’s No. 1 contender, Smith has maintained that position.

Matias is counting on his superior seasoning – and the expectation of No-Mas-Tias’ return – to turn back Smith.

“I'm going to bring out the little girl inside them,” Matias said. “Dalton, I want you to keep that energy because that's going to happen on Saturday.”

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. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.