The teams for Subriel Matias and Shohjahon Ergashev were granted a one-week extension to reach terms for their ordered mandatory title fight.

BoxingScene.com has confirmed that the IBF approved a request from both sides to delay a purse bid hearing that was scheduled to take place Tuesday via Zoom. The development comes nearly two weeks after the previously assigned negotiation period came and went without a deal in place for the junior welterweight contest.

However, it is now believed that a purse bid likely won’t be necessary, although both parties will have to confirm an agreement was reached for the sanctioning body to stand down.

Matias is guided by Juan Orengo’s Fresh Productions and has fought under the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) umbrella for each of his last five contests. Ergashev is represented by Salita Promotions, headed by former 140-pound contender Dmitriy Salita.

Puerto Rico’s Matias (19-1, 19KOs) won the 140-pound title with a stoppage of Argentina’s Jeremias Ponce (30-1, 20KOs) after five rounds in their February 26 title fight from The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their bout came with the vacant belt at stake in lieu of the final leg of a previously ordered four-man box-off to determine the mandatory challenger to then-champ Josh Taylor (19-1, 13KOs).

The win was the fourth in a row for the 31-year-old from Fajardo, Puerto Rico since his lone defeat. Matias dropped a ten-round decision to Petros Ananyan in February 2020 but stopped the Los Angeles-based Armenian in the ninth round of their rematch last January 22 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Ergashev (23-0, 20KOs) was prepared to enter his first title eliminator but could instead land his first title shot if Matias is not permitted to next face Lipinets.  

The 31-year-old Uzbek, now based in Detroit, has struggled to secure willing opponents as he has advanced from prospect to contender. His most notable win to date came in a ten-round, unanimous decision over Mykal Fox in their February 2019 battle of unbeaten prospects. Six wins have followed, most recently an eight-round decision over Luis Alberto Veron in a stay-busy fight last May 26 in his adopted Detroit hometown.

Boxers are not permitted to enter another fight once ordered by the IBF—or any other sanctioning body—to enter a sanctioned title bout or eliminator.

This ruling is significant given the only other discussed title fight during this period, as PBC representatives sought to have Matias face former 140-pound titlist Sergey Lipinets. That fight cannot move forward unless Ergashev agrees to stand down and the IBF is presented with a written request to approve as an optional defense. Neither has yet to occur, hence the standing order for Matias-Ergashev to reach a resolution.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox