Sebastian Fundora eyes another KO as Ermal Hadribeaj targets history

WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora insists he is taking nothing for granted ahead of his mandatory defence against unbeaten Ermal Hadribeaj on October 17.

Fundora, 24-1-1 (16 KOs), of Coachella, California, faces Hadribeaj, 23-0-1 (8 KOs), of Miami via Tirana, Albania, in the 12-round main event at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

The bout headlines the latest instalment of “The Fight”, which will be broadcast live on TNT, truTV and DAZN from 8pm ET/5pm PT.

Victory could open the door to major fights for Fundora, with unified WBA and WBO champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis and IBF champion Josh Kelly among the potential opponents at 154lbs. But the 28-year-old southpaw says his attention remains firmly on Hadribeaj.

“We’ve been working hard up in the mountains since our last fight and just getting ready for the next one,” Fundora said. “I’m ready to put on another show in Las Vegas. I’ve been getting smarter and wiser. Everything is lining up. The fights show the results of everything we’re doing in camp.

“Expect the best from Fundora, as always. ‘The Towering Inferno’ is coming to burn down Las Vegas once again.

“Hadribeaj is undefeated, he’s the mandatory and he’s hungry to win. But it’s nothing we’re unfamiliar with. Hadribeaj still has that mechanism where he only knows how to win. He’s protecting that 0, but I’ve taken 0s before. I’m on a three-fight knockout streak and we intend to keep that going.”

Fundora is refusing to look beyond Saturday’s challenger despite the lucrative possibilities that could await him.

“We’re always in the gym 24/7. It’s always working time,” he said. “The second you step off the gas, that’s when you’re gonna start feeling it.

“We’re only focused on this fight. We know that we can’t overlook anyone. We focus on the work and take it one fight at a time.”

Hadribeaj, meanwhile, earned his title shot by upsetting previously unbeaten Bakary Samake in a final eliminator on ProBox TV in May.

The 32-year-old southpaw believes Fundora will encounter something different when they meet in Las Vegas.

“They call me the Albanian Sniper,” Hadribeaj said. “I’m new to these big fights, but I’ve worked my way to this position. I’m feeling great. We’re getting ready for war.

“Fundora is a warrior as well and he likes blood. I can’t wait. Everyone thinks to go to the body against his height, but that’s what everyone has tried. It’s not about bringing something new, it’s about working on specific things that will work. It will be a struggle for both of us. It’s gonna be a hard fight for each of us.”

Hadribeaj also has the opportunity to make history. While Kosovo-born former interim WBA light heavyweight champion Robin Krasniqi is of Kosovan-Albanian heritage, Hadribeaj could become Albania’s first native-born world champion with victory over Fundora.

“This fight means that I can become the first Albanian world champion,” Hadribeaj said. “That’s really important to me and my team. This fight means a lot to me.

“There are a lot of fighters who want to be in my position, so I’m very grateful. Now it’s not a dream anymore, I’m living it. I’ve been stepping in silence. I’ve just kept working to make it to this point.

“The way that I came to this moment will help me when the fight finally starts. I got here because I worked for it. I went step by step. The pressure is already gone by now.

“I’m very excited to fight someone like Fundora, who is a great guy. I actually met him three years ago, and now here we are fighting for the title.”

In the co-main event, two-division champion and reigning WBA featherweight champion Brandon Figueroa makes the first defence of his title against Japan’s former world champion Tomoki Kameda.

Also on the card, unbeaten two-division world champion Jermall Charlo faces Australia’s Koen Mazoudier in a 10-round super middleweight contest.