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Shohjahon Ergashev spent all year in search of a willing opponent for a title eliminator.
That route failed to produce a fight but ultimately came with the reward of being named mandatory challenger by default.
BoxingScene.com has confirmed that the IBF has ordered a mandatory title fight which will see Ergashev challenge recently crowned junior welterweight titlist Subriel Matias. Both sides were instructed Wednesday to begin negotiations for the fight, which is due to take place on or before August 25.
The ordered fight—which was first reported by International Boxing News—comes as Matias reportedly agreed to terms to next face former titleholder Sergey Lipinets in a hoped-for voluntary title defense. However, no such paperwork has been filed with the IBF who called for the mandatory per Rule 6.D covering obligations for winners of vacant titles.
“The winner of the vacant title must make his mandatory defense against the leading available contender as designated by the Championships Chairman within six (6) months after its acquisition by him in a contest scheduled for twelve (12) rounds against a leading available contender as designated by the Championships Chairman.”
The turnaround time for vacant title winners to honor a mandatory title defense is three months less than the traditional nine-month period.
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.
Should the two sides fail to reach terms, the matter will head to a purse bid hearing. Matias will be entitled to the favorable end of a 65/35 purse split as the defending title holder.
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. An agreed upon Matias-Lipinents fight would either have to come with written proof of an already existing deal, or the blessing of Ergashev for the matchup to move forward and where he would be guaranteed to immediately face the winner.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox