Fundora Survives Hadribeaj, Sets Sights on Undisputed Clash

Sebastian Fundora retained his WBC junior middleweight title with a dramatic last-second knockout of Ermal Hadribeaj on Saturday night at The Chelsea inside the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, then immediately called for a shot at undisputed champion status against the winner of Jaron Ennis versus Josh Kelly.

The fight was far closer than the scorecards suggest a knockout usually implies. Hadribeaj, fighting under the nickname The Albanian Sniper, outworked Fundora on connect rate, landing 32.3 percent of his punches to Fundora's 25.9 percent, and made The Towering Inferno miss repeatedly on the inside. Fundora still controlled total volume, outlanding Hadribeaj 202 to 144 across the fight and winning eight of the 12 rounds on the Compubox count, before closing the show with a finishing blow in the final second of round 12.

"It was an interesting fight," Fundora said afterward. "I had to go back and fight on the inside and show everyone again that I can still do that. It was dramatic to knock him out at the last second, but we'll go back to the gym and fix some things."

What's Next for Sebastian Fundora

Fundora wants the Ennis-Kelly winner, and he's already picked a side. "I want to go for undisputed in this division," Fundora said. "We'll break either Jaron Ennis or Josh Kelly down just like the last guy and the guy before that. We'll keep breaking them down." Asked directly who he expects to win that fight, Fundora said, "I do favor Boots," tipping his hand that he and promoter Sampson Lewkowicz are building their 2024 plans around Ennis holding the WBA, WBO and IBF belts into a unification fight.

Lewkowicz made clear after the bout that any undisputed negotiation will be contentious on money, not just styles. "It doesn't make any difference, because we need each other. We need 50-50 because we want to unify," Lewkowicz said. He pushed back hard on the idea that Ennis should command a bigger split just because he'd be carrying three belts into the fight, and said he's already been in contact with Ennis's camp to establish that expectation early.

Betting Angle

The performance against Hadribeaj complicates how bookmakers and bettors will view Fundora in a potential undisputed fight. A granular Compubox split like this, where the challenger actually out-landed the champion on accuracy and gave Fundora real trouble working on the inside, is the kind of data point sharp bettors flag even when the final result is a knockout. Fundora's height and reach advantages remain the foundation of his style, but durability and finishing power late in fights are now part of his profile in a way that should factor into any opening line against Ennis, a naturally gifted boxer who thrives on angles and output rather than power alone.

The bigger market story right now isn't the Fundora line, it's whether the fight even gets made on schedule. Lewkowicz's insistence on a 50-50 split with Ennis, who would be entering as the three-belt holder, is the exact kind of leverage dispute that sank the Ennis-Vergil Ortiz Jr. negotiations. Bettors hoping to price an undisputed junior middleweight title fight next year should watch those purse talks before worrying about opening numbers, because a deal collapse would be the single biggest variable in this matchup actually reaching a sportsbook board.

First, Ennis and Kelly have to settle their own fight, and Fundora's team has already stated a preference for the outcome. That alone tells bettors where the promotional and financial pressure will sit once that fight is in the books.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Sebastian Fundora beat Ermal Hadribeaj?

Yes, Sebastian Fundora defeated Ermal Hadribeaj by knockout in the final second of the 12th round to retain his WBC junior middleweight title in Las Vegas.

Who does Sebastian Fundora want to fight next?

Sebastian Fundora said he wants to fight for the undisputed junior middleweight championship against the winner of Jaron Ennis versus Josh Kelly, and he said he personally favors Ennis to win that fight.

What is holding up a potential Fundora-Ennis undisputed fight?

Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz said he wants a 50-50 purse split with Jaron Ennis despite Ennis potentially holding three belts, mirroring the same financial standoff that previously derailed Ennis's negotiations with Vergil Ortiz Jr.