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Sebastian Fundora Defends WBC Super Welterweight World
Championship Against Unbeaten Ermal Hadribeaj On Oct. 17
WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Sebastian “The
Towering Inferno” Fundora will bring his can’t-miss,
all-action style to the ring against unbeaten mandatory
challenger Ermal Hadribeaj headlining the latest installment
of “The Fight” live on TNT and DAZN on Saturday, October 17
from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and
presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
The stacked lineup begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and also
features two-division champion and reigning WBA
Featherweight World Champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker”
Figueroa making the first defense of his title against
Japanese star and former world champion Tomoki Kameda in the
co-main event, plus undefeated two-division world champion
Jermall Charlo steps in to face Australia’s Koen Mazoudier
in a 10-round super middleweight showdown.
The fourth installment of the acclaimed live monthly boxing
series “The Fight”, this event will be broadcast
co-exclusively in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN.
The event is promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing.
“Sebastian Fundora, Brandon Figueroa and Jermall Charlo are
three of the sport’s most dominant and fan-friendly stars
and will all need to be at their best to deliver another
memorable night on October 17,” said Tom Brown, President of
TGB Promotions. “Fundora and Figueroa are each matched up
against tough challengers who are highly-motivated to wrest
their belts away in the undefeated Ermal Hadribeaj and the
former champion Tomoki Kameda, while Charlo will go up
against a come-forward brawler in Koen Mazoudier. With these
action-packed styles entering the ring, October 17 is a
perfect card to be featured on a big stage on TNT and DAZN
and at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.”
“October 17 in Las Vegas will be a grand stage for Sebastian
Fundora to once again prove that he towers over the rest of
the 154-pound division,” said Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson
Boxing. “I am sure that Ermal Hadribeaj will bring
everything he’s got, but I am confident that ‘The Towering
Inferno’ will leave with his hand raised.”
“One of the strengths of ‘The Fight’ is the opportunity to
build real continuity around the fighters and divisions
we’re showcasing,” said Britton Hardin, Head of Boxing,
North America at DAZN. “Fans who watched Bruce Carrington
compete on the first installment are now seeing Brandon
Figueroa featured in the co-main event, with both champions
potentially on a path toward each other at featherweight.
That kind of linear storytelling across TNT and DAZN helps
elevate the fighters, builds anticipation for what could
come next and gives audiences a deeper connection to the
sport.”
**SEBASTIAN FUNDORA VS. ERMAL HADRIBEAJ**
Standing nearly six-feet, six-inches, WBC Super Welterweight
World Champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora has
cemented his place atop the 154-pound division with a series
of dominating performances and will look to make the fourth
defense of his crown against the WBC’s number-one ranked
mandatory challenger, the unbeaten Ermal Hadribeaj in the
12-round main event.
Fundora (24-1-1, 16 KOs) first rocketed to the top of the
super welterweight division by dethroning Tim Tszyu via
decision in 2024’s bloodiest fight, earning both the WBC and
WBO titles. After defending his belts with a knockout of
Chordale Booker in March of last year, Fundora put his WBC
belt back on the line in a July rematch against Tszyu. This
time, Fundora closed the show in style, dropping Tszyu in
the first round before forcing an end to the bout after
round seven. A native of Coachella, California, Fundora most
recently blew through another highly-accomplished challenger
in March, as he stopped former unified champion Keith
Thurman in the sixth-round. The 28-year-old notably showed
his mettle in April 2022, battling the hard-hitting Erickson
Lubin in an instant 2022 Fight of the Year contender.
Despite both men hitting the canvas, Fundora stood tall in
the end, prompting Lubin’s corner to stop the fight at the
end of the ninth round. Fundora represents one of boxing’s
most accomplished families, as he is trained by his father
Freddy alongside his younger sister, undisputed flyweight
world champion Gabriela. The two fighting Fundoras are the
first brother and sister to simultaneously hold world
championships.
“Camp is going great! October 17 is going to be an exciting
night for boxing fans, Sebastian ‘The Towering Inferno’
Fundora will be taking over Las Vegas once again,” said
Fundora.
Originally from Tirana, Albania, Hadribeaj (23-0-1, 8 KOs)
now resides and trains in Miami, Florida as he prepares for
the world title opportunity he’s worked his whole career
towards. The 32-year-old first announced himself as a world
contender in 2022, as he won a vacant international title
with a dominant unanimous decision victory over the
previously unbeaten Daniel Buciuc. He continued to rise up
the rankings with a stoppage of former world champion Carlos
Molina in 2023 and unanimous decisions over previously
unbeaten contenders Bohdan Shtonda and Younes Zarraa in
2024. He earned his spot as Fundora’s mandatory this May
when he went 12 rounds for the first time in a unanimous
decision triumph over previously undefeated Bkary Samake.
This will be Hadribeaj’s first fight stateside since May
2023, in a career that has also seen him compete in his
native Albania, Germany, Croatia, Uzbekistan and the United
Arab Emirates.
“I’m working hard to be at my best and become world champion
on October 17,” said Hadribeaj. “This is what I’ve worked
for my entire career, and I’m going to be prepared for the
fight Fundora is gonna bring. If he takes me lightly, he’s
gonna be in for a big surprise.”
**BRANDON FIGUEROA VS. TOMOKI KAMEDA**
Fresh off of becoming a 126-pound world champion for the
second time, WBA Featherweight World Champion Brandon “The
Heartbreaker” Figueroa will defend his belt for the first
time against Japan’s former bantamweight world champion
Tomoki Kameda in the 12-round co-main event. Figueroa and
Kameda hold a piece of shared history, as Kameda engaged in
the first of two memorable battles against Jamie McDonnell
on May 9, 2015 in Texas on the same card that featured
Figueroa winning in his pro debut.
A two-division world champion, Figueroa (27-2-1, 20 KOs)
returns to the ring off one of the best performances of his
career that saw him travel to the U.K. to stop hometown hero
Nick Ball in dramatic fashion in the 12th-round in February.
The 29-year old had previously defeated Joet Gonzalez last
July to bounce back after losing his 126-pound title by
decision in his February rematch against Stephen Fulton Jr.
The Weslaco, Texas-native won the Interim WBC Featherweight
Title in a 2023 Fight of the Year contender that saw him
score a unanimous decision over former champion Mark Magsayo.
Figueroa’s relentless pressure and youthful enthusiasm
helped him become the first person to defeat former
two-division champion Luis Nery in their May 2021
championship clash, as he stopped Nery with a body shot in
round seven. Figueroa, now trained by the renowned Manny
Robles, added to his family’s legacy by capturing the WBC
122-pound world title against Nery, joining his brother Omar
Figueroa Jr., who previously held the WBC Lightweight World
Championship.
“I’m feeling strong, sharp and ready to defend my title,”
said Figueroa. “We’ve been pushing hard this camp and making
sure I’m prepared for anything. Fans know I always come to
fight, so expect a show October 17 in Las Vegas.”
A native of Osaka, Japan, Kameda (42-5, 23 KOs) earned the
ring moniker “El Mexicanito” when he moved to the North
American country as an amateur to hone his skills. After
turning pro, Kameda began ascending up the 118-pound
rankings, eventually claiming the WBO Bantamweight World
Championship by unanimous decision in August 2013 over
Paulus Ambunda. He’d go on to successfully defend the title
three times, turning away the previously unbeaten Immanuel
Naidjala, plus Alejandro Hernandez and Panya Uthok. The
35-year-old made his biggest splash stateside in 2015, going
toe-to-toe with champion Jamie McDonnell in a pair of
widely-seen action bouts that were each edged by McDonnell.
Kameda would later challenge for two more world titles,
putting together a five-fight winning streak that led to a
decision loss against then super bantamweight world champion
Rey Vargas. Most recently, he dropped a close decision to
featherweight world champion Angelo Leo in May 2025, which
followed six wins in seven contests.
“I’m coming to take advantage of this opportunity on October
17 and leave Las Vegas world champion once again,” said
Kameda. “Brandon Figueroa is a great champion and I know
that when the bell rings, we’re going to give the fans a
fight they’ll remember.”
**JERMALL CHARLO VS. KOEN MAZOUDIER**
After originally being scheduled to meet in July,
two-division world champion Jermall Charlo will now face
Australian brawler Koen Mazoudier in a 10-round super
middleweight matchup.
A former world champion at 154 and 160 pounds, Charlo (34-0,
23 KOs) began his quest to become a three-division world
champion in the stacked 168-pound division last year,
blasting out Thomas LaManna in six rounds. A native of
Houston, Texas, Charlo first joined the ranks of world
champion in 2015 with a dominant knockout of Cornelius
Bundrage, and would go on to defend the title three times,
including an emphatic stoppage of the then-undefeated Julian
Williams in December 2016. The 36-year-old would then begin
a middleweight run that saw him earn the WBC championship
and add victories over top contenders including Sergiy
Derevyanchenko, Matt Korobov, Hugo Centeno Jr. and more.
Trained throughout his career by the renowned Ronnie
Shields, Charlo’s recent resume also includes a 2023
unanimous decision triumph over Jose Benavidez Jr.
“I’ve been waiting on this moment and I’m ready to get back
in there and remind everybody who Jermall Charlo is,” said
Charlo. “I was ready to fight in July, and when that didn’t
happen, I went right back to the gym and kept working. I
know my fans have been waiting to see me and I’m gonna step
into the ring hungry, focused and with a lot to prove.
Mazoudier is coming to make a name for himself, but he’s
standing in the way of where I’m trying to go. October 17,
I’m coming to make a statement.”
A native of Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia, Mazoudier
(16-4-1, 6 KOs) turned pro in 2018 after an accomplished
amateur career, reeling off six consecutive victories. Of
the blemishes on 30-year-old’s record, two came by narrow
majority decisions, with one of his other losses eventually
being avenged as he defeated Wade Ryan by unanimous decision
in 2022. His other loss came at the hands of undefeated
Australian star Nikita Tszyu, younger brother of Tim Tszyu.
The 2024 showdown against Tszyu was within two points on two
judges’ cards when the bout ended in round nine. Mazoudier
has bounced back effectively, winning four-straight fights,
including a decision win over Sam Beck on August 26.
“I know I’m the underdog and I don’t care,” said Mazoudier.
“I’m coming to take down a legend, I’m not just going there
for a payday…I’m going there to win. I’ve never taken a
backward step in my life, and I’m sure as hell not starting
on October 17. I’m coming to take Charlo down.”
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