Fundora Retains WBC Title with 12th-Round TKO as Legends Question Timing

Sebastian Fundora retained his WBC junior middleweight championship on Saturday night, October 17, 2026, in a finish that saw the champion secure a 12th-round TKO victory over Ermal Hadribeaj with exactly one second remaining in the fight. The stoppage, recorded at 2:59 of the final round, sparked immediate debate among boxing observers and legends regarding the referee’s decision to wave off the contest as the final bell sounded.

The conclusion followed a competitive bout where Fundora (25-1-1, 17 KOs) struggled to find his rhythm early against the movement and clinch-heavy tactics of Hadribeaj. In the final minute of the 12th round, Fundora landed a sharp left hand that sent Hadribeaj to the canvas. While Hadribeaj managed to return to his feet, referee Thomas Taylor determined the challenger was in no condition to continue and waved off the fight just as the clock hit the three-minute mark.

Referee 's decision to stop the fight has drawn criticism from boxing analysts.

The Stoppage Controversy

The timing of the TKO has become a primary focal point of the event. Because Hadribeaj had risen from the knockdown, many analysts argued that the referee should have allowed the clock to expire, which would have sent the fight to the judges’ scorecards. Boxing greats Terence Crawford and Timothy Bradley were among those who criticized the finish, suggesting that with only a single second remaining, the fighter should have been permitted to finish the round.

Analysis of the bout indicates that Hadribeaj’s defensive strategy relied heavily on neutralizing Fundora’s height and reach. This approach led to point deductions for excessive holding in both the third and 11th rounds. These deductions made a comeback on the scorecards increasingly difficult for the challenger, though the abrupt nature of the “buzzer-beater” TKO rendered those tallies moot.

Tactical Shifts and Results

Fundora, known for his 6-foot-6 frame, made a visible tactical adjustment in the later rounds by choosing to fight on the inside. By negating the space Hadribeaj sought to use for movement, Fundora was able to land the more significant power shots that eventually led to the 12th-round breakthrough. This victory keeps Fundora on a trajectory for a potential undisputed unification bout, with eyes turning toward the winner of the mid-January clash between Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Josh Kelly.

The main event faced additional pressure following the collapse of the evening’s co-feature. The scheduled WBA featherweight title fight between Brandon Figueroa and Tomoki Kameda was canceled shortly before the event. Figueroa reportedly missed weight and subsequently fell ill, leaving Kameda without an opponent and removing a significant portion of the televised card.

For Fundora, the win serves as a successful first defense of the title he won earlier in the year. Despite the controversy surrounding the final second, the result stands as a TKO victory, solidifying his position at the top of the 154-pound division as the weight class looks toward a series of high-profile unifications in 2027.

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