Sebastian Fundora vs Ermal Hadribeaj: Who Wins And What’s At Stake?

What’s at stake for Sebastian Fundora when he defends his WBC junior middleweight title against Ermal Hadribeaj (23-0-1, 8 KOs) on Saturday night in Las Vegas?

Fundora (24-1-1, 16 KOs) will make his fourth defense of his world title, this time headlining a joint telecast with DAZN and TNT Sports. In a barren landscape of boxing, where it feels like we are punting into 2027 prematurely, this is one of the bigger fights for an American audience this fall.

So let’s look at what’s at play…

Fundora has won me over. Yes, Brian Mendoza knocked him out. Yes, his first fight with Tim Tszyu wasn’t as definitive as I had hoped, but since the Chordale Booker fight, he has evolved. He uses his range and aggression.

Fundora’s win over Tszyu the second time and Keith Thurman are underrated. He is a big puncher, mentally tough, and menacing in the ring. He is truly a problem and isn’t getting the respect he deserves. Facing a No. 1-ranked opponent, most of us don’t know, is usually an opportunity for a great fighter to showcase why they are a champion. More than likely, Fundora has to look sensational in this spot, right?

Freddy, the father of Sebastian and Gabriela Fundora, is one of the best boxing coaches. I am not sure I have heard many interviews with him, but he knows his boxing. One anecdote I would like to add is that just because people are private doesn’t mean they don’t deserve credit for their work and achievements. Freddy is becoming one of the premier trainers for the work he is doing with his children, and this fight should highlight his coaching.

Devil’s advocate argument: look at Ricardo Sandoval against Sergio Mendoza. It should have been a tune-up fight on paper. Instead, Mendoza stopped Sandoval. Hadribeaj is a southpaw who is slick. When talking to experts who have watched him live, they say he knows how to survive. That isn’t great.

That said, doesn’t it always feel like weird stuff happens when you make weird fights? Fundora has everything to lose in this fight. Hadribeaj enters playing with house money. You could also point to Fundora’s 2019 draw with Jamontay Clark. Clark is a 6’ 1” southpaw with a 78-inch reach who ended his career with a 43 percent knockout ratio. Hadribeaj’s reach isn’t listed, but he is a 5’ 10” southpaw.

The deeper question might be this: Has Fundora improved, or has he fought the right people at the right time? Could this fight be tougher than we think it is for a multitude of reasons?

You have to favor Fundora to stop Hadribeaj, given his recent run.

Featherweight Brandon Figueroa knocked out Nick Ball to win the WBA title in England. Now he returns to face Tomoki Kameda. On paper, it is a simple fight. Figueroa has been up and down in his career, but seems to have found a good fit with Manny Robles as his trainer. His two losses have come against the same opponent: Stephen Fulton. In the first fight, you could argue that he won.

Kameda has been a contender for over a decade but has been unable to cross the line. He has been stuck at the contender level, losing to champions, dating back to his first career loss to Jamie McDonnell in 2015. In May 2025, he lost to current beltholder Angelo Leo via split decision and is now in this position. The big thing for Kameda, at least on paper, is that this is the best matchup he has faced, as he has spent the majority of his career training in Mexico. Figueroa is a pressure fighter who is there to be hit.

Yes, you have to favor Figueroa, but this is a sneaky great fight because both guys are action fighters. It is not a fight that jumps off the page on the bout sheet, but it could merit people calling your phone to tune in to the bout.

Jermall Charlo, a former two-division titleholder, was scheduled to fight on the card. He was set to face Koen Mazoudier. The bout was originally scheduled for July in Australia. Despite a lack of fanfare, it was moved to this card. Now, Charlo is out.

It makes you wonder: How much does Charlo have left? He is 36 years old. It feels like we might see a few rushed bouts at the end of his career, but simply put, we didn’t get enough impactful fights for a good portion of his career.

Instead, we get Resendiz vs. Mazoudier. Resendiz is a former world champion who beat Caleb Plant to win the title. He lost it to Jaime Munguia in his first defense and had been viewed as a contender/gatekeeper before beating Plant.

Mazoudier is good, but not great. Most notably, he drew with Ben Mahoney. The next most significant result is his stoppage loss to Nikita Tszyu. He is on a four-fight winning streak, but quite frankly, this level of competition is a huge step-up. That said, Mazoudier has had a full camp, and Resendiz is coming in on what we presume is a shorter training camp. Resendiz also fights so differently than Charlo.

This might be one to keep an eye on.

Middleweight Romero has a lot of elements of a star. He is 15-0 (13 KOs) and built that record while training in Kansas. He won 22 national titles, yet somehow didn’t land a major promotional deal. He opens the TV broadcast, and all of his knockouts come in the first two rounds. I would watch him and probably be excited about the potential matchups he could be in.

Garcia is a 17-year-old from Phoenix. He turned pro in Mexico in 2024. He faces Angel Carrillo, a pressure fighter from Oxnard, California. This is a good test for a young up-and-comer.