Sebastian Fundora wants the winner of Jaron Ennis against Josh Kelly next, but the WBC junior middleweight champion insists Saudi Arabia will not host it. Fundora aims for spring 2027 to stage a unification bout, making it clear that facing Boots will not convince him to travel abroad to Riyadh.
That stance sets a firm condition on his future plans before his title defense against Ermal Hadribeaj on Saturday. Fundora expects Ennis to defeat Kelly, calling Boots the premier matchup at 154 pounds.
“I think the winner of Boots and Kelly should be the opponent for our next fight,” Fundora said to Ariel Helwani. “I think that’s early, early maybe springtime of next year, 2027.”
Asked whether that reflected discussions or simply his preference, Fundora clarified: “That’s what I want. I think that’s what I’ll get as well.”
His preferred schedule remains a target rather than a signed contract, yet his refusal regarding Saudi Arabia sounded absolute.
“There’s a reason why I haven’t fought in Saudi Arabia,” Fundora said. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable, me being an American and everything like that.”
Asked directly if he would turn down an Ennis bout in the Gulf nation, Fundora confirmed he would walk away because that option feels unrealistic to him.
Securing an Ennis encounter would require common ground on location alongside purses. If promoters propose Saudi Arabia, Fundora makes it obvious that organizers must secure an alternate venue to get his signature.
He has not turned down an active offer to box Ennis. The scenario remains hypothetical right now, even while his desire to face the Ennis vs. Kelly victor is genuine.
Fundora must handle business against Hadribeaj first. Once Saturday concludes, his focus centers on collecting the remaining belts at 154 pounds in an arena he can accept. His stance puts him in a tricky spot financially. Crossing Riyadh off the list immediately shrinks the money pool, because nobody in the United States or the UK is writing those blank checks right now.
“My mother being a veteran and all the politics and that. It’s bigger than boxing. It’s way bigger than boxing,” said Fundora.
If PBC or another promoter has to finance an Ennis against Fundora unification on regular domestic pay-per-view, the numbers have to make sense organically, and that means significantly smaller paydays for both men.
Boots wants the belts, but he also wants to get paid like an elite fighter. If Fundora demands the bout take place in Vegas or Los Angeles, Ennis might look at the revenue split and decide the headache is not worth the discount, especially when other opportunities exist.
None of it matters if he looks past Saturday, either. Hadribeaj is not flying in just to collect a check and hand over the belt. If Fundora gets sloppy or gets caught while daydreaming about spring 2027, the whole discussion vanishes overnight. He will have priced himself out of an imaginary payday while holding empty hands.
