WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora has his sights set on re-establishing himself as the top fighter at 154-pounds when he takes on former unified champion Keith “One Time” Thurman on Saturday, March 28 headlining a PBC Pay-Per-View event available on Prime Video from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Fundora and Thurman had originally been scheduled to meet last October, before a Fundora hand injury that the reigning champ has since recovered from.
“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 is 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.”
Fundora returns to the ring after sandwiching a pair of victories over Australian superstar Tim Tszyu around a March 2025 stoppage of top rated contender Chordale Booker. Last July, Fundora delivered perhaps the best performance of his career, stopping Tszyu in their rematch with a violent and dominant display. Now he hopes to pick up where he left off on that triumphant night last summer.
“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.”
In Thurman, Fundora faces without a doubt the most accomplished foe of his career. Thurman had a long reign as the king of the 147-pound division, before officially debuting at 154 with a knockout of Brock Jarvis last March. In the build up to their matchup, Fundora named one of Thurman’s best victory, a decision over fellow then-unbeaten welterweight world champion Danny Garcia, as his favorite performance of his upcoming opponent.
“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.”
Fundora vs. Thurman not only presents a unique clash inside of the ring, but outside of it as well, with the soft-spoken, “gentle giant” Fundora going up against the bombastic and outspoken Thurman. While Thurman has tried to poke at Fundora during pre-fight activities, Fundora has no problem brushing the talk to the side.
“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.”
A native of Coachella, California, Fundora’s career has been led by his father and trainer Freddy Fundora, who runs the champion’s training camp from their mountain home. The unique landscape for the Fundora’s has helped give Sebastian a boost throughout his career.
“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.”
Another advantage for Fundora’s training is that he works alongside his younger sister, undisputed world champion Gabriela Fundora. With Gabriela fighting a couple of weeks before Sebastian gets into the ring, the combined training efforts of the siblings helps boost each up to be their best.
“Having Gabriela training alongside me is a good reminder that show’s 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.”
With a big name opponent and boxing’s historic stage, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, set for Fundora’s arrival, the 28-year-old plans to make the most of this opportunity and continue to lay his claim as king of the super welterweights.
“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.”
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