Fundora retains WBC super welterweight title with 6th-round KO of Thurman
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Keith Thurman said the fight should have continued, and maybe if it had, he would have found a way to get the best of Sebastian Fundora.
But until referee Thomas Taylor stopped the bout at 1:17 of the sixth round on Saturday night, there was little evidence that Fundora was in danger of relinquishing his WBC super welterweight belt.
The 6-foot-5 Fundora (24-1-1, 16 knockouts) used his nine-inch height and reach advantage to pepper Thurman (31-2, 23 KOs) with a series of hard lefts and combinations. Thurman managed to get in the occasional blow, but had to pick his spots.
There just wasn't enough of an opportunity for him against the man called The Towering Inferno. Fundora landed 96 shots to 28 for Thurman, according to Compubox, and 64 power punches to 25.
“I was a little nervous today because Thurman is such a big name," Fundora said. "But once we got in that ring, I said, ‘This is my world.’”
He made that clear early in the fight, and by the fifth round, Fundora was in complete control, delivering blow after blow with Thurman against the ropes. A knockout seemed like a matter of time, and it nearly came in the closing seconds of that round before the bell rang.
The moment, instead, occurred early in the sixth.
Thurman, holding ice to the left side of his battered and bruised face, was upset about the ref's decision to step in, arguing he hadn't been knocked down and was on the verge of giving his opponent a true challenge.
“The fight was getting really good," Thurman said. “The fans were loving the action and the referee stopped the fight too early. They don’t have the guts to let the fights go on like (in past years). He talked to me and said if I was moving my feet he wouldn’t stop the fight. I wasn’t on the ropes taking shots. It was very unfortunate to not give the fans a better show. Win, lose, or draw, I thought it was a little bit premature. I had more in me.”
Fundora, a 28-year-old from Coachella, California, was a significant favorite entering the bout, listed at -325 at BetMGM Sportsbook.
“We’ve been working very hard for this fight," Fundora said. “I told him that I’ve always looked up to him. He’s a Hall of Famer for sure.”
Thurman, a Clearwater, Florida resident, looked all of his 37 years old, and perhaps after this night, he could have some big decisions to make about his future. But Thurman said he has more left in him, especially the way this fight ended.
He once ruled the welterweight division, his only loss before Saturday occurring July 20, 2019, in a split-decision loss to Manny Pacquiao.
“Sebastian definitely came in shape,” Thurman said. "He throws a lot of punches. The uppercut that caught me and cut me was an awkward punch that I’ve never been hit with before. The man brings it. He’s a tremendous champion, and I can lift my head up high knowing I was defeated by a great young fighter.”
Fundora said he is willing to take on anyone who's willing to step into the ring with him in the 154-pound division.
If he continues to have nights like this one, Fundora could find himself in position to be the unified title holder. It would hard to argue against that Saturday night.
“There’s all kinds of big names," Fundora said. “One-fifty-four is the best division right now. Whoever wants it next can get it.”
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