While Keith Thurman looks at his contest with Sebastian Fundora as a chance to enter the Boxing Hall of Fame, the reigning WBC super welterweight champion sees it “as just another fight.”
Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs) defends his belt on March 28 following a dominant seventh-round retirement of Tim Tszyu in a rematch last June. It’s arguably his highest-profile battle, tied with his first bout with Tszyu after a split-decision win in March 2022.
“I’m just looking at Keith as another fight,” Fundora said in a release sent to Boxing Social. “I’ve fought a reigning champion and former champions. So I just have to see it as another fight. I have to go make the ring mine and make this fight mine as well. I’m the younger guy, and I’m the champion. Lots of things favor me in this fight. You can’t just rely on that, of course. But I’m extremely confident and more mature at this point in my career.”
Thurman (31-1, 23 KOs) comes into the bout after another year of inactivity but did make easy work of Australia’s Brock Jarvis with a third-round stoppage in Sydney. Prior to that, Thurman had just one solitary contest since his first career defeat to Manny Pacquiao in 2019, a wide decision victory against Mario Barrios in 2022.
“I have to expect the best Keith Thurman to come out,” Fundora explained. “That’s what we’re training for. Whether he brings it or not, that’s not up to me, but I’ll be ready. He looked good in his last fight, but I think my skills are better. That’s why we’re fighting. I’m planning to go in there and defend my title successfully.”
“I’ve fought a lot of good fighters, and I’m just seeing Thurman as another fight. This would be a good win against another accomplished former champion.”
Fundora-Thurman headlines a Prime Video pay-per-view from the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
