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Add FightsATW on GoogleSebastian Fundora put a bow on a gutsy performance by scoring a 12th-round knockout over Ermal Hadribeaj (23-1-1, 8 KOs) with one second remaining, live on TNT Sports.
Fundora (25-1-1, 17 KOs) was on his way to a unanimous decision before pressing the pedal on his offense and finishing the fight in style. Afterwards, Fundora told DAZN’s Chris Mannix that he wants the winner of Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vs. Josh Kelly in 2027 for the undisputed junior middleweight crown.
According to CompuBox “Fundora rallied in 2nd half of the fight, outlanding the awkward Hadribeaj 124-70 over last 6 rounds. Fundora landed 17 of 65 punches per round, to 12 of 37 for the challenger, who held/clinched all fight.”
The opening round was an impressive one for Hadribeaj, who was leading with his right jab to Fundora’s torso. This forced Fundora to dip down a bit, and Hadribeaj landed a few left hooks to Fundora’s head. While Hadribeaj was having success, Fundora was having a tough time getting into rhythm.
Fundora landed a short left hook early in the second round that buzzed Hadribeaj and forced him to hold. Hadribeaj then landed a short left hook to the inside that buzzed Fundora, and they went blow for blow to the end of the round.
In the third round, Referee Thomas Taylor deducted a point from Hadribeaj for holding. The rest of the round was spent in close, with many short shots and a battle for foot positioning on the inside.
Hadribeaj had another successful round, keeping the fight on the inside and landing big left and right hooks to Fundora’s head. Hadribeaj made the round physical, which Fundora did not seem to like. Rounds five and six favored Hadribeaj, but all that work took its toll, and it showed in the seventh round.
Fatigue began to settle in for Hadribeaj as Fundora kept throwing left-and-right uppercuts. Hadribeaj had a ton of momentum going into the round, but his earlier work rate seemed to have cost him in fatigue. In the eighth, Fundora’s uppercuts began to land more and more. Hadribeaj landed flurries here and there, but Fundora controlled the round.
Rounds nine and ten saw Fundora control the pace, and in the 11th, the judges deducted another point from Hadribeaj for holding.
Both fighters emptied the tank in the last round, but Fundora landed three consecutive hooks with 10 seconds remaining, sealing the deal. The last hook sent Hadribeaj to the canvas with one second remaining. Hadribeaj was badly hurt, and the referee waved off the fight.
It’s time for Fundora to get in with these big names at 154 pounds. 2027 should be the year we see him go for the undisputed title. Only time will tell if that actually happens.
SEBASTIAN FUNDORA VS ERMAL HADRIBEAJ UNDERCARD RESULTS
In what was an absolute war, Armando Resendiz (17-3, 11 KOs) earned a unanimous decision over Koen Mazourdier (16-5-1, 6 KOs). Although the judges saw this one 98-92 and 97-93 x2, the fight was actually much closer than the scorecards indicated. Regardless, Resendiz came out with the victory.
Marco Romero (16-0, 14 KOs) scored a brutal, first-round, one-punch knockout over Braulio Matias Ferreira (8-4, 3 KOs). Romero ended the fight with a clean overhand right that ended the fight.
Jaime Osuna (12-0, 5 KOs) earned a majority decision over Cristian Cangelosi (13-1-1, 5 KOs) to open the TNT Sports card. The judges scored it 76-76 and 77-75 x2, as Osuna remains undefeated in a close, competitive fight.
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