Liam Paro entered his previous fight in Puerto Rico as the underdog challenger. Now, he's the one sitting at the pinnacle, ready to defend his title. In June, the 28-year-old Australian faced the daunting task of traveling to the Caribbean to take on local favorite and IBF junior welterweight champion, Subriel Matias, at the Coliseo Juan Aubin Cruz Abreu in Manatí. Few gave Paro a chance against the hard-hitting Matias (20-2, 20 KOs), often feared as the division's most dangerous fighter. However, Paro started strong, endured Matias’ onslaught in the middle rounds, and finished with a powerful late surge to secure a unanimous decision victory with scores of 116-111 and 115-112 (twice) in hostile territory.