Brief
Sebastian Fundra KO’s Ermal Hadribeaj with final‑second left to retain WBC title
Fundra delivered a left‑hand knockout with one second left in the 12th round to retain his WBC super‑welterweight belt.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Sebastian Fundra retained his WBC super‑welterweight title by knocking out challenger Ermal Hadribeaj with a left hand at 2:59 of the 12th round on Saturday night at The Chelsea, The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, according to the Associated Press.
What happened
The bout began with Hadribeaj attacking the body and crouching beneath Fundra’s punches. Fundra landed a solid right in the second round, but Hadribeaj increasingly resorted to clinching, losing points for holding in the third and eleventh rounds. Through the middle rounds Fundra applied pressure and mixed uppercuts, while continuing to target Hadribeaj’s ribs. In the final second of the fight, Fundra unleashed a left hand that connected cleanly, prompting the referee to stop the contest and award Fundra a technical knockout.
What the reports add
The AP report notes that the knockout came with just one second remaining in the scheduled 12‑round fight, preserving Fundra’s path toward a potential unification bout in the 154‑pound division. It also records Fundra’s record as 25‑1‑1 with 17 knockouts and Hadribeaj’s record as 23‑1‑1, marking Hadribeaj’s first professional loss.
What was said
Fundra told the AP, “It was an interesting fight. I had to go back and fight on the inside and show everyone again that I can still do that. It was dramatic to knock him out at the last second. But we’ll go back to the gym and fix some things.” He added, “I told the ref in the fourth round that I was hurting him. I kept landing body shots and was looking for that special shot to get him out of there. I was hitting him in the rib cage the whole time with the left hand and when I went up the middle, I heard the noise that he made. So I just kept touching that and knew it would break him.”
How it came about
Fundra entered the fight seeking to clear a mandatory challenger before pursuing a unification match in the super‑welterweight division. The victory marked his fourth successful defense and his fifth straight win since being stopped by Brian Mendoza in April 2023. The 6‑foot‑5 southpaw from Coachella, California, has been building momentum toward an undisputed championship, a storyline Felo News has followed in recent boxing coverage.
Key facts
- Sebastian Fundra knocked out Ermal Hadribeaj at 2:59 of round 12 to retain the WBC super‑welterweight title. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- The fight took place at The Chelsea, The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on October 17, 2026. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Fundra improved his record to 25‑1‑1 with 17 KOs; Hadribeaj fell to 23‑1‑1, his first loss. (winnipegfreepress.com)
Sources
- [1] winnipegfreepress.com — originally reported as “Fundora stops Hadribeaj in final second, keeps undisputed title hopes alive”
