Two months removed from his rematch victory over Tim Tszyu, Sebastian Fundora is convinced the damage was done long before Bakhram Murtazaliev capitalized.
Fundora successfully defended his WBC super welterweight championship on July 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, stopping Tszyu by technical knockout when the Australian declined to come out for the eighth round. Tszyu had been floored in the opening round and was trailing 69-63 across all three scorecards.
Though Tszyu admitted afterward that Fundora’s relentless pace wore him down mentally, the 6-foot-6 southpaw felt he saw the cracks forming before the bell.
“There was just something blocking his mind. You could see it during the faceoff or whenever we interacted,” Fundora told The Ring. “This is the World Series. You cannot do things like that.”
Revisiting the First Fight
The Coachella, California native also points back to their brutal first meeting in March 2024. That bout turned into a bloodbath after Tszyu suffered a severe cut on his hairline when his head collided with Fundora’s elbow. Despite lasting the distance, Tszyu’s compromised vision and relentless punishment led to a split-decision win for Fundora.
“They’re gonna have a different mindset on fighting forever now, after that first fight,” Fundora said. “I think he definitely took a lotta damage in the first fight. And a lotta people still don’t wanna give me credit at all for that.”
Murtazaliev’s Statement Win
Tszyu’s next fight proved disastrous. Entering as a 7-1 favorite, he was dropped four times by Russia’s Bakhram Murtazaliev on October 19 and stopped inside three rounds. Many observers pegged Murtazaliev as the man who “ruined” Tszyu, but Fundora argues the psychological toll of their two encounters left Tszyu vulnerable.
“We saw how he came out that first round versus Murtazaliev,” Fundora noted. “He wasn’t focused at all. You could see him touching for a cut.”
Looking Ahead: Thurman Clash
Now 23-1-1 (15 KOs), Fundora turns his attention to Keith “One Time” Thurman. The two will headline a Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view on October 25. DraftKings currently lists Fundora as a 4-1 favorite over the former WBA/WBC welterweight champion, who sits at 31-1 (23 KOs, 1 NC).
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
