‘One Time’ will look to become a two-division world champion Saturday night when he challenges WBC junior middleweight titleholder Sebastian Fundora at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and live on pay-per-view. The bout takes place on the same day heavyweight phenom Moses Itauma battles Jermaine Franklin Jr. in Manchester, England, and live on DAZN.

Thurman (31-1, 23 KOs) returned to the ring following a three-year absence last March to produce a third-round TKO of Brock Jarvis in Sydney, Australia, for his 154-pound debut. To become a champion once again, Thurman will have to figure out a way to extinguish ‘The Towering Inferno’ that is Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs). The WBC junior middleweight titleholder put together two knockout victories in 2025, derailing Chordale Booker in four rounds in March before forcing a corner stoppage of Tim Tszyu in July.

Will Thurman be able to use his ring savvy to resolve the complex puzzle that is the 6-foot-6 Fundora? Or will Fundora punish the former unified welterweight champ toward a resume-bolstering victory? DAZN News examines who has the edge between Fundora and Thurman entering this weekend’s big matchup.

Boxing Styles

When it comes to a clash of styles, Sebastian Fundora almost certainly presents an equation that is a handful to deal with for opponents.

At 6-foot-6, the southpaw can use all 80 inches of his reach to poke away at fighters with prodding shots from the outside or elect to punish them on the inside.

The latter is where Fundora is prone to being hit himself, but that does not stop the champ from engaging in cramped quarters anyway.

Keith Thurman can have success there, especially on the counterpunch end, if he can manufacture his way inside of Fundora’s range. But that’s a tall order, considering Thurman is surrendering 11 inches of reach to the champ.

Still, Thurman has the ring IQ and skills to feint, change levels, and sit on shots, making this matchup all the more intriguing.

Though till Thurman can prove he can get inside effectively and have success in the phone booth, ‘The Towering Inferno’ takes this category.

Edge: Fundora

Power

Fundora has a two-fight knockout streak entering this bout, demonstrating his punching potency and persistence.

But Thurman has been resolute in saying he is going to knock Fundora out. ‘One Time’ has 23 knockouts to his professional ledger and wants to take advantage of Fundora’s willingness to exchange in the pocket.

“Fundora gets hit,” Thurman said during Thursday’s press conference. “He is used to trading and going at it. But I’m here to put that fire out.”

Fundora was knocked out in his only pro loss. Thurman has the power to do it too, with his slick movement, pot-shotting, and counterpunching only helping his cause in the power game.

Edge: Thurman

Mental Warfare

Since being knocked out by Brian Mendoza in April 2023, Fundora has rattled off three straight victories. Still, Thurman wants to test whether the champ has truly cleared the cobwebs of being stopped.

The 37-year-old Thurman touts more quality experience, having fought the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Mario Barrios, Danny Garcia, and Shawn Porter — all former world champions.

He insists that ring guile will be a factor Saturday night, and it is hard to argue against him there as Thurman earns the slight advantage in mental warfare as well.

Edge: Thurman

Who has the edge in Fundora vs. Thurman?

DAZN News has the slim edge going to Thurman, 2-1, to produce the upset. However, Fundora can shatter that expectation by overwhelming the former champion with his unique dimensions. Fundora becoming the first man to stop ‘One Time’ is a stinging possibility in a scenario that is likely to attract even more eyes on the fight.

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