This highly anticipated junior-middleweight world title clash is guaranteed to be an exciting, crowd-pleasing fight. The action is set to take place on Saturday night, March 28, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Keith Thurman made his pro debut back in November 2007 when he posted a first-round TKO victory over Kensky Rodney. Thurman would go on to become a champion, and then he scored back-to-back victories against elite competition.
In June 2016, Thurman successfully defended his WBA title against Shawn Porter as he won via unanimous decision. Nine months later, Thurman became a unified champion when he beat Danny Garcia by way of split decision.
Thurman was destined for superstardom, but unfortunately, his career was derailed due to multiple injuries. After his March 2017 victory over Danny Garcia, Thurman underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow.
The following year, while preparing for a fight, Thurman sustained an injury to his left hand. Keith Thurman would return to the ring for a high-profile fight in July 2019, but unfortunately for Thurman, he lost to Manny Pacquiao via split decision.
Following the Pacquiao fight, Thurman suffered another left-hand injury that required surgery. After a two and a half year layoff, Thurman returned to action as he defeated Mario Barrios.
After the Barrios fight, Thurman would experience another long layoff.
After a three-year hiatus, Thurman traveled to Sydney, Australia, and stopped Brock Jarvis in the third round.
Now the 37-year-old Keith “One Time” Thurman (31-1, 23 KOs) is set to face a very difficult challenge. Due to his age, injuries, and multiple stints of inactivity, Thurman is going into this world title bout as the underdog.
The 28-year-old defending champion Sebastian Fundora is obviously younger; he’s a high-volume puncher, and he holds significant height and reach advantages. However, the underdog Keith Thurman does have a path to victory.
To set up his offense, Keith Thurman will need to use lateral movement, footwork, and angles. With a tall southpaw like Fundora, Thurman will target the chest, the shoulders or any body part accessible as it relates to landing a legal punch.
Thurman will also look to connect with the overhand right and his dangerous left hook. Thurman has a high ring IQ, and it will aid him in keeping Fundora off balance and making the necessary in-ring adjustments.
Thurman’s offensive prowess and his punching power give him a solid chance to score the upset. Another reason why Keith Thurman is very capable of pulling off the upset is due to Sebastian Fundora’s lack of defense.
Back in April 2023, Brian Mendoza stopped Sebastian Fundora in the seventh round. A year prior, Erickson Lubin lost the fight, but he was able to floor Fundora in the seventh round when he landed a flurry of heavy punches.
In a couple of Fundora’s key victories, both Tim Tszyu and Erickson Lubin were able to hit Fundora with clean shots on multiple occasions. If Keith Thurman is presented those same opportunities, it could be lights out for Sebastian Fundora.
On Saturday night, March 28, the Fundora vs Thurman PBC main event is set to air live on Prime Video PPV. The question is, will Father Time make an unwanted appearance, or will Keith “One Time” Thurman deliver a vintage performance and have another shining moment?
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