Sebastian Fundora and Keith Thurman came face to face again on Wednesday in Los Angeles, officially restarting the build-up to their long-delayed fight. Fundora will defend his WBC super welterweight title against Thurman on March 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, headlining a Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view on Prime Video. The press conference at the Avalon in Hollywood marked the first major promotional stop after their original October date was scrapped due to Fundora’s hand injury.

The matchup brings together two fighters at very different stages of their careers. Fundora, a 6-foot-6 southpaw from Coachella, California, is nine years younger than the 37-year-old Thurman, a former unified welterweight champion from Clearwater, Florida. Thurman, who has fought just three times since 2019, acknowledged the unusual role reversal after years of injury setbacks, but insisted his confidence remains intact. “My spirit has never been broken,” Thurman said. “He’s going to have to do something brand new come March 28 to break me down.”

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Never short on theatrics, Thurman leaned heavily into the David-versus-Goliath narrative, even unveiling custom “TIMBER” T-shirts depicting himself chopping down a tree. “Like David versus Goliath, I just have to hit him with one rock, and it’s over,” Thurman said. “All I need is one punch… I’m the professor, and he’s going to learn.” He also referenced Fundora’s past setback, adding pointedly, “We have seen this man in absolute defeat… and that’s what I mean with spirits being broken.”

Fundora, by contrast, remained calm and understated throughout the exchange. “It’s all talk,” he said. “He’s an experienced fighter. I am training hard for everything and when you do that, things will come out in your favor.” Fundora also acknowledged that circumstances once worked in his favor when Thurman withdrew from a planned fight with Tim Tszyu in March 2024, opening the door for Fundora to step in and win the WBC title in a brutal bout.

Despite now being rated among the top contenders at 154 pounds, Fundora says he still feels overlooked. “I think everyone underestimates me,” he said. “I just have to go out there and show what I am made of. I’m going to be victorious and get the job done… another highlight in my career and show that I am going in the right direction.”

Image Credit: PBC