A while back, Subriel Matias reached out to fans, expressing his faith in God and His blessings. He said, “The day I try to cheat… I become nothing in my life. God is faithful. 🙏🏽 Blessings, Happy Wednesday!” And the Almighty seems to have heard the super lightweight champion’s prayers. According to new reports, Matias, who recently found himself in the middle of a doping controversy, may still get the opportunity to defend his title. His fight against Englishman Dalton Smith is scheduled for January at New York’s Barclays Center.

Matias’ first title defense since reclaiming the 140-pound championship in July quickly descended into uncertainty. Multiple reports suggested that he had returned an adverse finding for a banned substance. Taken aback, the champion insisted he was innocent of any wrongdoing. A strong possibility that the Smith fight would be shelved emerged. However, the latest updates indicate that Subriel Matias and Smith may still get the chance to slug it out, following a detailed review by the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC).

Subriel Matias beats the count: Doping flag may not stop his title fight

Eminent boxing writer Dan Rafael shared further details via Fight Freaks Unite. According to the information he received, the January 10 fight may get a second lease on life.  A recent VADA-administered urine test detected Ostarine, a banned performance-enhancing drug, in Matias’ system. But there is a silver lining. Despite the detection, the amount of Ostarine found in Matias’ sample was within the allowable threshold.

“While the sample was flagged for Ostarine, the amount found in his system was below the allowable 0.1 nanograms per milliliter threshold for the drug, the New York State Athletic Commission told Fight Freaks Unite on Tuesday,” Rafael wrote on Fight Freaks Unite.

However, the WBC has not yet decided whether Subriel Matias’ scheduled title defense against Smith will take place. A separate report by The Ring Magazine had previously shed light on the evolving situation.

Close call? Matias might have nearly missed Ryan Garcia-style fallout

Sharing an update received from the NYSAC, the piece sounded cautiously optimistic about the Matias-Smith title fight. The two fighters had faced off shortly after Matías edged out Alberto Puello on the Shakur Stevenson-Edgar Berlanga dual headliner.

Last year, in a surprising twist, Matias lost his IBF super lightweight title to visiting challenger Liam Paro. But the Puerto Rican power-puncher, who boasts a 96% KO rate, regrouped and worked his way back into contention. His efforts ultimately led him to a second world title reign.

As news of Matias’ flagged test spread, many quickly recalled last year’s Ryan Garcia controversy. The former interim lightweight champion faced a major scandal after testing positive for Ostarine. Reportedly, his A-sample contained 6 ng/ml, sixty times the New York commission’s limit of 0.1 ng/ml.

Had Matias been found guilty, he likely would have faced a similar ordeal. NYSAC, currently overseeing his case, handed Garcia a one-year suspension alongside heavy financial penalties.

Fans should stay tuned, as more updates on the Matias case are expected soon. If Matias gets the green light to face Dalton Smith and wins, should he then take on the winner of the upcoming Pitbull Cruz vs. Roach Jr. matchup?