Keith Thurman Jokes About Height Gap

Chance at Redemption

Thurman (31-1, 23 KOs, 1 NC), now 36, has long felt “frozen out” of the junior middleweight division. Injuries and politics left him watching from the sidelines as others secured the fights he sought. Ironically, it was Thurman’s own biceps injury that opened the door for Fundora to step in against Tim Tszyu in March 2024.

Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs) seized the moment, defeating Tszyu by split decision in a brutal affair and capturing the WBC interim 154-pound title. He was later elevated to full champion.

“He did my job,” Thurman said. “He’s in this position because of me… but it’s the right thing to fight Keith Thurman. Not only does it feel right, not only is it gonna be a great fight, but this man got options.”

The Tszyu Twist

Thurman’s path back to the top was supposed to run through Tszyu. After scoring a third-round TKO over Australia’s Brock Jarvis in March, Thurman expected to reschedule their fight. But Tszyu instead returned to face Fundora, losing by stoppage in July when he failed to come out for the eighth round in Las Vegas.

That upset left Fundora without an immediate opponent and created an opening for Premier Boxing Champions and adviser Al Haymon to pair the champion with Thurman in a pay-per-view main event.

At 27, Fundora is still in the ascent of his career, rebounding from a shocking 2023 knockout loss to Brian Mendoza. Since then, he’s rattled off three straight victories, including the win over Tszyu that made him champion.

Thurman praised his opponent’s willingness to take on a name with his résumé.

“Ever since I was in the amateurs, there’s been no such thing as an easy Thurman fight,” he said. “You gotta really want this. You gotta want it in your legacy. And Fundora’s at that stage of his career… but he never got a name like this.”

The Stakes

The October 25 bout pits a veteran champion trying to reassert himself against a young titleholder seeking to validate his reign. Thurman, who once held both the WBA and WBC welterweight titles, sees this as a chance to remind boxing fans that he still belongs at the elite level.

As for Fundora, a victory over a fighter of Thurman’s pedigree would cement his status as a legitimate force in one of boxing’s most competitive divisions.

“Thank you for taking this fight, Fundora. I salute you,” Thurman said though he promised to turn the opportunity bitter on fight night.