Sebastian Fundora retained his WBC super welterweight championship on October 17, 2026, in a finish that occurred just before the final bell. Fundora secured a 12th-round TKO over Ermal Hadribeaj at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, with the official stoppage coming at 2:59 of the final round—exactly one second before the match would have concluded and gone to the scorecards.
The “Towering Inferno” utilized his massive 6’6″ frame to pressure Hadribeaj throughout the bout, though the challenger found moments of success on the inside. However, Hadribeaj’s momentum was hampered by point deductions for excessive holding in both the third and 11th rounds. The victory improves Fundora’s professional record to 25-1-1 with 17 knockouts, solidifying his position at the top of the 154-pound division.
Stoppage Controversy and Analysis
The timing of the TKO has become a primary focal point for boxing analysts and fans. After Fundora dropped Hadribeaj late in the 12th, the challenger managed to rise to his feet. Despite this, referee Thomas Taylor waved off the contest with only a single second remaining on the clock. According to reporting from Fox Sports, analysts Terence Crawford and Timothy Bradley criticized the decision, suggesting the referee should have allowed the fight to reach its natural conclusion given Hadribeaj had beaten the count.
The night was also marked by a significant change to the undercard. The scheduled co-main event between Brandon Figueroa and Tomoki Kameda was canceled after Figueroa missed weight and subsequently became ill, leaving the Fundora-Hadribeaj title defense as the sole focal point of the evening’s broadcast.
How to Watch Replays and Highlights
Digital highlight clips of the “buzzer-beater” knockout have been circulated across official social media channels for the promotion. These include detailed highlights of the final round and the subsequent reactions from the ringside broadcast team.
Following this defense, the super welterweight division looks toward potential unification bouts. Performance analysis suggests Fundora seeks to further consolidate the titles at 154 pounds.
