The WBC junior middleweight titleholder is linking a potential fight with Vergil Ortiz Jr. to a spot on Canelo Alvarez’s September 12 card, giving the move a purpose that hadn’t been there before.
Fundora said this week that he would welcome a bout with Vergil Jr for the vacant Ring title, adding that he expects to be ready again in September if he gets through Keith Thurman on March 28th. The opponent list, in his words, is open.
“It would be great to fight on the Canelo card,” Fundora said to Ring Magazine. “I’ll be ready to fight again in September after the Thurman fight. I’ll fight Vergil.”
Vergil Jr has been available at 154 for some time, yet Fundora had not been publicly pushing for that matchup in this way. Linking it to a major platform changes how it reads. It comes across less like a voluntary risk and more like a calculated step tied to exposure and positioning.
Ortiz is rated #1 by The Ring at junior middleweight, while Fundora is slotted just behind him. A meeting between the two would interest fans.
Vergil Jr’s situation still has to be cleared first. He remains tied up in a legal dispute with Golden Boy, which has slowed his activity at a point in his career when regular fights are needed. Any progress there would have to come quickly to make a September timeline realistic.
Fundora also has his own hurdle in front of him. He faces Thurman on March 28 and enters as a clear betting favorite.
“I’m expecting the best Keith Thurman, but this is a new era,” Fundora said. “I’m beating him down.”
A fight between Fundora and Ortiz Jr. will be a good one if it happens. There will be more interest than Sebastian’s current fight against 37-year-old Thurman, which hasn’t attracted much attention.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, recognized for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fight landscape. His reporting focuses on major bouts, divisional developments, and the sport’s most discussed storylines.