Sebastian Fundora says he’s unconcerned with anything Keith Thurman brings to their fight on October 25. WBC junior middleweight champion Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs) is convinced he’s going to be victorious against the soon-to-be 37-year-old Thurman (31-1, 23 KOs).
Fundora’s Towering Physical Advantages
The 6’5 1/2″ Fundora has a significant advantage in height, youth, and activity over the 5’9 1/2″ Thurman. Sebastian’s size alone is going to be a difficult hurdle for ‘One Time’ Thurman to overcome.
Sebastian Fundora vs. Crawford will headline on Amazon Prime Video PPV from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Fundora-Thurman Undercard
- Stephen Fulton vs. O’Shaquie Foster
- Jesus Ramos Jr. vs. Shane Mosley Jr.
- Isaac Lucero vs. Roberto Valenzuela Jr.
- Frank Martin vs. Rances Barthelemy
When the two stood face-to-face during their kickoff September 3 press conference in Los Angeles, Fundora towered over Keith. Beyond the size, the youth of the 27-year-old Sebastian is likely to be a big problem for Thurman.
Ring Rust: Thurman’s Biggest Hurdle
Also, the ring activity. Thurman slowed his career down after getting a big payday against Danny Garcia on March 4, 2017. He’s fought just four times since. With all the downtime that Keith has had in the last eight years, he’s lost much of the hand and foot speed that he once had.
What remains is Thurman’s power and ring IQ, which makes him dangerous for Fundora for as long as the fight lasts. It’s possible that ‘One Time’ will gas out if the fight goes beyond the midpoint because he hasn’t stayed active enough to keep his conditioning. He looks chunkier and not as lean as he once did.
Fundora expects the grizzled former WBA and WBC welterweight champion Thurman, 36, to try every trick in the book to get a victory on October 25. However, Fundora doesn’t see the old ‘One Time’ having any success and expects to knock him out, just as he has with his recent opponents.
A Promise of “Violence” from Fundora
“I don’t think so, no,” said Sebastian Fundora to Sean Zittel’s channel when asked if he thinks Keith Thurman will ‘go the distance’ with him on October 25. “It’s the way we work. We want to display violence. We want to hurt them.”
If Thurman tries to win, the chances are high that Fundora will knock him out. He’ll have to engage to win rounds, and that’s when he’s going to get hit. Fundora will chop away at Thurman and likely take him out quickly if he comes to win.
Surviving to Stay Relevant
We really want Thurman’s true angle for taking this fight. Is it just to pick up a paycheck and survive 12 rounds?
If Thurman goes the distance in losing, he can keep his hustle going by bragging that he wasn’t knocked out. He can blame the defeat on an injury, and enough sympathetic fans will believe him to give him another chance.
Amazingly, Keith is being given a world title shot after fighting just once in the last three years, beating the lower-tier fighter Brock Jarvis last March. Thurman arguably hustled his way into a world title fight against Fundora rather than earning it by staying active and working his way up the junior middleweight ranks by beating contenders.
Fundora Dismisses Veteran’s Bag of Tricks
“It’s his experience, but I don’t see that as a problem. I don’t see anything Thurman brings in as a problem,” said Fundora on what Thurman has going for him in this fight. I think Thurman is going to try everything in his book to win.”
The experience that Thurman would have could work in his favor if he’s able to hit and run all night like he did in his victories over Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia. But it’s doubtful that Thurman has the gas tank to move for 12 rounds to keep the tall Fundora at bay all night.
Keith won’t have the reach advantage to allow him to use his hit-and-dash style. That’s the main problem, and he’s not young enough to move the entire fight.
Last Updated on 09/23/2025
Read the full article here