Las Vegas, NV – Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) surprised many tonight by defeating Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) in a bloody fight where both fighters bleed.
Tszyu suffered a cut above the head near the end of round two, and Fundora bleed from the nose and mouth due to the punishment he was receiving from Tszyu.
The beginning of the match was controlled by Tszyu, landing nearly double what Fundora landed, but the fight changed after the cut he suffered at the end of round two.
After the cut, Fundora’s output increased, noticing Tszyu’s face covered in blood, struggling to see. It was evident that Tszyu’s visibility was affected as he sometimes missed wildly throwing punches, whereas Fundora was not.
Sebastian fought a smart fight on the outside and utilized his 10-inch read advantage to his benefit. He jabbed at a distance and jabbed heavily, throwing 437 jabs, landing 93 of them.
In comparison to Tszyu’s total offensive output of 400 punches thrown, Tszyu’s poor visibility made him cautious as he did not want to throw and miss, allowing himself to be countered.
Although his output was below his average, he landed only 19 punches less than Fundora, having landed 175 total punches to Fundora’s 194 (Compubox)
Had Tszyu not suffered the headcut, this could have been a very different fight. He lost via a split decision victory, judges scorecard had it 116-112 Tszyu, 113-115 and 112-116 for Fundora.
When Fundora was asked about a possible rematch, he diverted the question to his promoter Sampson Lewkowicz who answered by stating that he would give his fighter the fight that earned him the most money. Meaning the fight that would earn Fundora the biggest purse which could potentially mean a fight against Errol Spence, and then eventually entertaining a rematch with Tszyu.
Sebastian Fundora made history, becoming the first brother-sister duo with his sister Gabriela Fundora to hold championship belts simultaneously.
Fundora appears to have learned significantly from his loss against Brian Mendoza, stating at the post-fight press conference that he cannot box on the outside or the inside; he will box wherever he feels more comfortable in whichever fight he may find himself in.
Fundora demonstrated an ability that many questioned in the past, which is why he chose not to utilize his reach advantage and box on the outside. Sebastian’s sister Gabriela answered that question for him, stating it was the Mexican in him wanting to fight Mexican style and fight on the inside.
Sebastian has improved significantly from his last match, and if he continues to improve, he will be a tough opponent for anyone willing to challenge him, as his size proves challenging for anyone.