WBC light welterweight champion Subriel Matias has tested positive for the banned PED Ostaine in a VADA-conducted test ahead of his January 10, 2026, defense against #1 Dalton Smith at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The fight is now up in the air.
Matias’ Test Blows Up the Fight
Mike Coppinger revealed Matias’ positive test. He states that the test result was from a sample taken from him on November 9, 2025. He has 10 days to request that his B-sample be tested.
Matias’ fight with Smith appears to be on shaky ground. Depending on the outcome, Matias could face a suspension and a fine. His WBC title would be stripped and vacant for Dalton Smith and #2 Alberto Puello to fight for.
Contamination Excuse Incoming
Assuming Matias says he ate or drank a food or used a supplement contaminated with Ostarine, there’s no guarantee it’ll clear him. Fighters have overused the contamination excuse, and it’s not effective in getting them cleared.
Matias dethroned WBC 140-lb champion Puello by a 12-round majority decision on July 12, 2025, in Queens, New York. Many boxing fans believed that Puello had done enough to win that fight, but the judges sided with Matias. The scores were 114-114, 115-113, and 115-113.
It’s bad luck for Matias, as he just captured the WBC belt. He’d lost his IBF title in a 12-round decision loss to an ugly fight against Liam Paro a year ago on June 15, 2024, in Manati, Puerto Rico.
Paro got away with a lot of shoving and rabbit punches in that fight without being penalized. The Puerto Rican Matias was fighting in his home country, but the referee didn’t come down hard on the Australian Paro with the roughhouse tactics he was using.
Smith’s Harder Road Ahead
If Puello (24-1, 10 KOs) is the one Dalton (18-0, 13 KOs) fights for the WBC light welterweight title, he’s going to have his work cut out for him because he’s not easy to hit. He also has a good chin and won’t be bowled over by the single shots that Smith relies on to score his knockout victories. It’s a harder fight on paper for the British fighter than going against Matias, who would be there in front of him.