Sebastian Fundora is figuring it out

Several years ago, I saw Sebastian Fundora fight for the first time. He did not impress me.

He was skinny as a rail, and at 6-foot-6 outrageously tall, especially for his division. Fundora towered over his opponents, hence the nickname, “Towering Inferno.”His advantages were obvious. He looked like a giraffe mixed with a praying mantis. His head was in the sky, but it was there to be hit.

He was undefeated, but I thought he was getting hit more often than he should have. Right hands, many a southpaw’s kryptonite, were a problem. Too many of his fights were like riding a rollercoaster. He struggled to defeat Jamonty Clark and Nathaniel Gallimore.

Fundora was undefeated in 18 fights when he threw hands against former title challenger Erickson Lubin. Failing to use his height and reach to their full advantage, Fundora stood and slugged with Lubin. Watching it for its pure excitement was fun, but I still wondered why Fundora wouldn’t fight HIS fight. Use the jab more. Protect the head.

Lubin floored him in round seven, but Fundora, who might look like a skinny geek, but reeks of courage, rallied to halt Lubin two rounds later. The bout was called The Fight of the Year. No disagreement here, but I still felt like it was a matter of time before a big puncher clocked Fundora. Less than a year later, it happened.

Fundora was mixing with the limited but heavy-handed Brian Mendoza. He dominated the first six rounds. Then, in round seven, Mendoza landed a tremendous left hook that bent the skyscraper in half. A follow-up right and another left sent him onto the canvas hard. He raised his head and looked at the referee, with an apologetic look on his face, who counted him out. He might have wanted to get up, but there was no way his body would move.

“I fell asleep for a second and paid for it,” said Fundora. “I don’t want to change too much because of the result. I’m just going to keep focusing on my game.”

Change. He acknowledged right there that he had to do something. But could he?

He could. Less than a year after his loss, he fought WBO-favored super middleweight titleholder Tim Tszyu. A cut changed the fight, but Fundora, who started slow, came on to win a split decision.

Fundora faced Tszyu in a rematch last year.  Oddsmakers again listed the former champion as the favorite. This time, the fight was hardly even competitive.

Perhaps Tszyu had lost a little after being brutally stopped by Bakhram Murtazaliev in 2024. No matter, Fundora fought intelligently, stabbing Tszyu repeatedly with his broom-like jab and knocking him down. Bloodied but unbowed, Tszyu tried to rally, but Fundora forced his corner to call the fight after seven rounds.

Last month, Fundora faced part-time fighter, Keith Thurman. Fundora was the heavy favorite to beat the former champion, who had only one loss on his record.

Make that two. Fundora again stayed behind his jab, firing his power shot when the time was right. He almost knocked Thurman down in round two and had him in a world of hurt through six rounds. The referee stopped the fight in round seven – a move that angered the proud Thurman.

He said after the fight, ” The fight was getting fun! We were just getting into the grind, and he was getting really comfortable swinging wide, swinging big, and swinging wide. As an OG, four more minutes, it would’ve been a lot of fun. ”

No fun to watch.

Fundora has figured out his advantages, and that makes him a big problem for whoever he fights.