January is usually reserved for repairing bank balances and pretending the festive damage on the scales never happened. In boxing terms, it has traditionally been a month of gentle reawakening — the odd card here, a stray contender there — before the sport properly clicks into gear from February onwards.
January 2026, however, has other ideas. With more than a dozen shows spread across multiple broadcasters and no fewer than eight world title fights on the schedule, the year begins at full throttle. If you’re unsure where to focus your attention, Boxing News has you covered. Here are the five world title clashes you simply can’t miss this month.
January 10: Subriel Matias vs. Dalton Smith – WBC super lightweight title (PPV.com)
We kick things off in Brooklyn where Puerto Rican pressure machine Subriel Matias defends his WBC crown against Britain’s Dalton Smith. Matias — cleared to fight despite a recent positive doping test — is one of the most unforgiving fighters in the sport, a relentless force who looks to drown opponents under sustained, punishing pressure.
Smith arrives as a polished, composed contender but remains untested at elite world level. Britain has produced a steady stream of top-class champions at 140lbs in the modern era — Ricky Hatton and Josh Taylor among them — but following in those footsteps will require discipline, precision and nerves of steel. Matias will be looking to tear up the Sheffield man’s gameplan and turn the fight into a war of attrition. Whether Smith can resist that pull makes this a compelling opener to the year.
January 24: Raymond Muratalla vs. Andy Cruz – IBF lightweight title (DAZN)
Titles won outside the ropes always come with an asterisk in the minds of fans. For Raymond Muratalla, this is a chance to erase any doubt and justify his elevation by defeating one of the sport’s most highly regarded newcomers.
Andy Cruz has looked every inch a future world champion despite having just six professional fights. The Cuban amateur standout has transitioned seamlessly to the paid ranks, bringing elite timing, footwork and shot selection with him. Muratalla’s relaxed, offensive style will need to be sharp and accurate from the opening bell, because Cruz rarely gives second chances. Expect a high-level, technically rich encounter with world-class punches throughout.
January 31: Xander Zayas vs. Abass Baraou – WBO/WBA super welterweight title unification (Broadcaster TBC)
Abass Baraou was another fighter crowned without throwing a punch, but legitimacy must be earned the hard way — and Xander Zayas will be eager to make a statement in front of a partisan Puerto Rican crowd.
Zayas enjoys home advantage for what is billed as his second defence and will look to box smartly, moving in and out of range while picking off the German pressure fighter. Baraou, however, is durable, aggressive and persistent. If Zayas can’t discourage him with power, this could turn into a gruelling and highly entertaining affair. Don’t be surprised if this one pushes its way into Fight of the Year conversations early.
January 31: Bakhram Murtazaliev vs. Josh Kelly – IBF super welterweight title (DAZN)
The 154lb division takes centre stage again on a frenetic night of action in both the UK and the US. In Newcastle, heavy-handed Russian champion Bakhram Murtazaliev brings serious menace to the backyard of Britain’s Josh Kelly.
It’s a familiar script: a destructive puncher versus a slick, ambitious mover, evoking memories of Kovalev-Cleverly in Cardiff over a decade ago. Kelly will be desperate to avoid a similar fate. His world title potential has been discussed since the day he turned professional, but his first championship assignment could hardly be tougher. This is a genuine sink-or-swim moment.
January 31: Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson – WBO super lightweight title (DAZN)
The biggest fight of the month — and arguably the most intriguing — is saved for last. Two elite operators, long touted as future all-time greats, collide with more than a belt on the line. This is about status, hierarchy and pound-for-pound positioning.
Lopez will need something special to outthink and outmanoeuvre one of the sharpest boxing brains in the sport. Stevenson, meanwhile, will aim to assert his control and prove his superiority at the weight. It won’t be reckless chaos or all-action mayhem, but it will be elite-level boxing at its purest — the kind of fight you simply cannot look away from.
