Fundora stops Hadribeaj with one second left, keeps WBC belt
The super welterweight champion finished the fight with a left hand at 2:59 of Round 12 and said he wants the undisputed title at 154 pounds.
Sebastian Fundora kept his World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight belt, at 154 pounds, by knocking out Albania's Ermal Hadribeaj at 2:59 of Round 12. One second was left in the fight. Referee Thomas Taylor stopped the bout after a left hand. It happened Saturday night, Oct. 17, at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, ESPN reported.
Hadribeaj, unbeaten until then, came in as the mandatory challenger. He went to the body early and threw looping shots over the guard, but ended up holding a lot: he lost points for holding in Rounds 3 and 11. The champion landed his first heavy punch in the second round and kept the pressure on with short uppercuts.
It was the champion's fourth defense. Fundora is 28 and stands 1.96 meters (6 feet 5 inches) tall, and he has won five straight fights. His only loss was to Brian Mendoza, in April 2023. Hadribeaj, who is 33, fell to 23 wins, one loss and one draw, and it was the first loss of his professional career. The sources disagree on Fundora's record: ESPN lists it as 25-1 and AP as 25-1-1.
Fundora told ESPN he liked how they knocked him out "in the final second" and that "it was dramatic." According to AP, he added that he wants to go for the undisputed title in the division.
In the co-main event, Mexico's Armando Resendiz (17-3) beat Koen Mazoudier (16-5-1) by unanimous decision over 10 rounds at super middleweight. The judges scored it 98-92, 97-93 and 97-93. Resendiz fought as a replacement for Jermall Charlo.
What comes next is unification. According to ESPN, Jaron "Boots" Ennis, who holds the WBA and WBO belts, and Josh Kelly, the IBF champion, plan to fight in early 2027. Fundora named both as targets, but no date or opponent has been announced for his next fight.
