Sebastian Fundora dominated Chordale Booker to retain his unified 154-pound title on March 22 at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. The Coachella, CA-based southpaw hurt the challenger from Stamford, CT, with uppercuts and a big left hand to secure the victory by TKO.
After touching the canvas, Booker was able to get back up but was met with more punches, which forced referee Thomas Taylor to step in and save him from further punishment. The official time of stoppage was 2:51 into the fourth round.
27-year-old Fundora made the first successful defense of his unified WBC and WBO belts and improved to 22-1-1 with 14 KOs. The 6′ 5½” champion from West Palm Beach, FL, stepped through the ropes for the first time since dethroning Tim Tszyu by split decision in a bloody battle last March.
“I’ve felt ready this whole time since my last fight,” Sebastian Fundora said. I’ve worked very hard this past year to be ready. Now I’ve successfully defended my two titles and the sky’s the limit. I showed the fans that I’m a powerful fighter. I’ve always been a powerful fighter and I showed it even more tonight.”
“I’d love to be the undisputed champion like my sister [Gabriela Fundora]. Whoever they have for me next, I’ll be ready. I want the IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev, plus Xander Zayas is the WBO mandatory, and I also want Errol Spence Jr. We have two belts, we have to defend them, and if anyone is willing to unify, let’s do that too.”
33-year-old southpaw Booker didn’t succeed in his first attempt to become champion and dropped to 23-2 with 11 KOs. The defeat snapped his six-fight winning streak.
“We didn’t even bring a southpaw into camp,” Chordale Booker said. “It was just about catching his footwork. He didn’t want to trade at all, so we just broke him down to the body and when I hurt him in the third round, it slowed him down a lot.”
Bakhram Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs) hasn’t fought since capturing the vacant IBF 154-pound title with a third-round TKO against Tszyu last October. Puerto Rico’s Xander Zayas (21-0, 13 KOs) is fresh off a ninth-round TKO victory against Slawa Spomer in February. Former champion Errol Spence Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs) of Long Island, New York, who was previously expected to face Fundora, hasn’t fought since suffering a ninth-round TKO loss to Terence Crawford in July 2023.