Zayas says cross-promotional barrier prevents unification talks at 154 despite both holding titles
Xander Zayas says a unification fight with Sebastian Fundora cannot be negotiated due to promotional restrictions. The WBA and WBO champion pointed to a PBC-only stance as the key obstacle.
Zayas, promoted by Top Rank, questioned how any deal could be reached under those conditions, saying negotiations break down before they start. “I don’t know. His promoter is saying, or his manager is saying, they’re not fighting outside of PBC. So how can you negotiate that? How can you go into a negotiation knowing this guy doesn’t want to fight anybody but the elderly staff at PBC?” Zayas said to Ring Magazine.
The point lands harder when looking at the names Fundora has mentioned. The WBC 154-pound champion has spoken about being open to facing Errol Spence Jr. and Jermell Charlo, both PBC fighters who are now in their mid-30s and have seen limited activity since 2023. Those options keep everything in-house rather than moving toward a unification with another belt-holder.
Zayas’ position is simple. If the door stays closed to outside promoters, there is no path to a fight that would combine titles at 154. The situation leaves champions operating on separate tracks, even when the matchups exist on paper.
The fight can’t move forward if it never gets to the table.
Zayas isn’t just a prospect talking big anymore. By holding half the titles, Xander’s claim that the “PBC bubble” is the only thing stopping a fight between them becomes a matter of record.
Xander’s comment about the “elderly staff” has aged remarkably well. Sebastian Fundora just defended his WBC title against Keith Thurman on March 28, 2026. While Thurman is a respected name, he is 37 years old and was coming off a long one-year layoff.
Zayas is scheduled to defend his WBA and WBO junior middleweight titles against Jaron Ennis on June 27 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.