Keith Thurman says he is ready to go through WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora on Saturday night, with the former welterweight titleholder already looking at a potential revenge bout with Manny Pacquiao if he gets the job done.
With a title shot against Sebastian Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs) looming Saturday night, Keith Thurman (31-1, 23 KOs) says he is prepared for a rough fight and plans to take the WBC junior middleweight belt from the towering champion. The matchup gives Thurman a chance to reestablish himself in a new division after spending most of his biggest years at welterweight.
"I’m facing a strong champion, but I’ve prepared well and I intend to hurt this guy," Thurman said. "He likes to fight, he gets hit, and I’m here to put that fire out in him. For every tough guy in boxing, there’s always someone tougher, and I know how to deal with him. I have everything I need to win this fight and take his title."
The stakes are bigger than just one belt. If Thurman wins, he immediately becomes a serious player at 154 pounds and could position himself for one more major payday. If Fundora turns him back, the champion strengthens his hold in a crowded division and adds a recognizable former star to his resume. American boxing fans have long viewed Thurman as one of the sport’s best talkers when active, but also as a fighter who needs a defining late-career win to matter again at the top level.
Thurman made it clear that money will help guide his next move after this fight, but one name still stands above the rest: Manny Pacquiao (62-8-3, 39 KOs), the man responsible for his lone professional defeat.
After a brief pause, "One Time" admitted that the idea of a rematch with Pacquiao remains a major source of motivation.
"That would be my redemption, and that’s an attractive opportunity. If I get the chance to avenge the loss to Pacquiao, I’d probably take that fight," Thurman said.
For now, though, everything runs through Fundora, whose size, pace and willingness to trade make him a dangerous test even for an experienced former champion. Saturday night will show whether Thurman still has enough left to chase the kind of fight he has not stopped thinking about since the Pacquiao loss.
