Sebastian Fundora handed Keith Thurman the first stoppage loss of his career, overwhelming the former unified welterweight champion inside six rounds to retain the WBC super-welterweight title in Las Vegas. The referee waved the fight off just before the midpoint of the sixth after Thurman, whose only prior defeat was a points loss to Manny Pacquiao in 2019, emerged bloodied and was being swamped by a flurry of punches.
Fundora, 28, used a pronounced height and reach advantage — standing over 6ft 5in to Thurman’s 5ft 9in — to control distance and dictate the action throughout the bout. Thurman’s limited activity since the Pacquiao loss was evident: he had fought only twice in the intervening years and looked vulnerable early when a powerful Fundora left hand buckled his legs. Fundora repeatedly landed to the head and body as he progressively dismantled a fighter he has long admired.
With the victory Fundora improved to 24-1-1, leaving Thurman at 31-2. After the fight Fundora said he has always respected Thurman, calling him ‘a Hall of Famer,’ and explained the extra work he put in to prove himself at 154 pounds. He admitted he felt some nerves before the bout but that, once the bell rang, he reminded himself ‘this is my world.’ He also suggested the 154-pound division is especially strong right now and invited future challengers.
Thurman, frustrated at the early stoppage, praised Fundora as ‘a great young fighter’ but said he felt the referee acted prematurely. He told reporters the fight was building and that the official told him afterwards he would not have stopped the bout if Thurman had been moving his feet. ‘Win, lose, or draw, I thought it was a little bit premature. I had more in me,’ he said, while acknowledging the damage from an awkward uppercut that opened a cut. He finished by elevating Fundora’s credentials, calling him ‘a tremendous champion,’ and said he could hold his head high despite the loss.