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Sebastian Fundora and Keith Thurman Fight Has A New Date

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Robert LaMar | Last updated Dec 30, 2025 10:35 PM ET

A long-delayed junior middleweight title fight between Sebastian Fundora and Keith Thurman is back on the table, with both sides now targeting an early 2026 showdown. The bout had originally been scheduled for October, with Thurman set to challenge Fundora for his 154-pound title. Those plans were derailed when Fundora suffered a hand injury, forcing the fight to be postponed before contracts could be finalized.

Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs), rated No. 2 at junior middleweight by The Ring. Has emerged as one of boxing’s most unconventional champions. Nicknamed “The Towering Inferno,” the 27-year-old stands a staggering 6-foot-5½ an almost unheard-of frame for the division and uses his height and volume punching to overwhelm opponents.

He is coming off a seventh-round TKO victory over Tim Tszyu in their July rematch. That win cemented his hold on the title after he shocked Tszyu with a split-decision upset last year to claim the belt.

With his hand injury now behind him, Fundora is once again positioned for a marquee defense against a recognizable former champion.

Sebastian Fundora and Keith Thurman are targeting early 2026 to reschedule their junior middleweight title fight, sources tell @ringmagazine.

Thurman was set to challenge for Fundora’s title in October, prior to Fundora suffering a hand injury.pic.twitter.com/u7ncSLEWpb

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) December 29, 2025

Thurman’s Return and Weight-Class Shift

Thurman (31-1, 23 KOs) made his long-awaited return to the ring in March. Moving up to 154 pounds with a third-round knockout of Brock Jarvis in Australia. The bout marked Thurman’s first appearance in more than three years and was designed as a springboard to a major title opportunity.

Before the Fundora matchup was postponed. Thurman had been on track for a high-profile clash later in the year potentially against Tszyu but those plans unraveled as the division reshuffled.

Thurman remains one of the most accomplished fighters in the weight-range conversation. He enjoyed a lengthy championship reign at welterweight, unifying titles and headlining multiple pay-per-view events. His lone professional defeat came in 2019 against Manny Pacquiao, a fight that marked Pacquiao’s final elite-level victory.

A High-Stakes Clash in 2026

If finalized, Fundora vs. Thurman would pit youth, size, and momentum against experience. Timing, and punching power a classic stylistic contrast at 154 pounds.

For Fundora, the fight represents another opportunity to validate his title reign against a former pound-for-pound staple. For Thurman, it’s a chance to complete a late-career resurgence and become a two-division world champion.

After months of uncertainty, the junior middleweight division appears set for a major collision just on a slightly delayed timeline.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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