COACHELLA, CA — Sebastian Fundora is ready to remind the super welterweight division exactly who sits on the throne.
The reigning WBC Super Welterweight World Champion will defend his crown against former unified champion Keith Thurman on Saturday, March 28, headlining a PBC Pay-Per-View event streaming on Prime Video from the iconic MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Originally scheduled for last October, the bout was postponed after Fundora suffered a hand injury. Now fully recovered, “The Towering Inferno” says the delay only sharpened his focus.
“Camp has been good since recovering from the hand injury,” said Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs). “We never stopped training, we just slowed down on some things that we do. We always figure out ways to work, because this is an all year sport. This isn’t seasonal. I don’t think about this as a training camp, this is my job. This is a lifestyle.”
“Having more time to focus on one opponent is always a blessing. We wish it didn’t happen this way with the injury, but we’ll take advantage of the extra time. It was disappointing to have to postpone the fight, but things happen in boxing and in life. You just have to roll with the punches. Not being able to use my hands as much as I wanted was challenging. For a period of time, we couldn’t do that. So I had to figure out a way to make sense of it.”
Momentum at 154 Pounds
Fundora returns after a career-defining stretch that included two wins over Australian star Tim Tszyu, sandwiching a March 2025 stoppage of top contender Chordale Booker between them. Their July rematch saw Fundora deliver one of the most violent and dominant performances of his career, stopping Tszyu in emphatic fashion.
Now, he looks to build on that momentum against one of the most accomplished opponents he has faced.
“Beating this former world champion will make a big statement,” said Fundora. “I still feel like I’m at the top of the division. I don’t think we’ve lost any momentum, we just had to reschedule. We’re not hiding from anybody. This is gonna remind everyone that we are at the top.”
A Dangerous Opponent in Thurman
Thurman, long considered one of the elite at 147 pounds, made his junior middleweight debut with a knockout of Brock Jarvis last March. Fundora points to Thurman’s victory over then-unbeaten champion Danny Garcia as a defining performance.
“I liked Thurman’s performance against Danny Garcia,” said Fundora. “Garcia was also a top name and those two clashing together was a great fight and Thurman getting the victory showed how great of a fighter he was.”
While Thurman has brought his trademark trash talk into the promotion, Fundora remains unfazed.
“Keith’s trash talk is good for TV, that’s what I’ll say,” said Fundora. “He’s always been the bad guy going into a fight because of that. And he backs it up a lot. But this time he’s not gonna be able to back it up.”
“I’m not distracted by the talking. It doesn’t bother me one bit. Maybe if he wasn’t as well-known as he is, it could have caught me off guard. But when I step into the ring with these guys, I expect them to hate my guts. I expect that they wanna get rid of me. That’s boxing. We’re in a competitive sport and we want to do the same thing to each other. It’s nothing personal, but we both gotta do what we gotta do.”
Mountain-Built Champion
A native of Coachella, California, Fundora trains under the guidance of his father, Freddy Fundora, high in the mountains — a setting that adds natural adversity to camp.
“This isn’t easy living right here in the mountains,” said Fundora. “I don’t even know how much snow we have, but it’s a lot. It’s past my ankles already, and we ran in it this morning. There are lots of obstacles training up here, but we still work and come to win and be the best.”
He also sharpens his skills alongside his sister, undisputed champion Gabriela Fundora.
“Having Gabriela training alongside me is a good reminder that shows me what’s working and what needs to be done,” said Fundora. “Watching her fight is gonna give me a good IQ lesson for what can work for me in this fight and what can’t.”
A Defining Night in Las Vegas
March 28 marks Fundora’s first pay-per-view main event as the A-side, and he plans to seize the spotlight.
“This is the Fundora’s first pay-per-view main event as the A-side,” said Fundora. “We’re very blessed that Las Vegas is taking us in with open arms. I think every time we fought in Vegas and at MGM, it’s been a great fight. I’m fighting one of the best fighters of this era, so make sure you tune in and watch this live. You’re gonna see the king of 154 do his thing all over again.”
Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, and Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and is also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer. He’s also the main photographer for the 4CornersMafia Car Club.
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