Sebastian Fundora Knocks Out Ermal Hadribeaj in Final Seconds

The American broke down his resilient opponent with a dramatic 12th-round knockout to retain his belt in a Las Vegas thriller.

WBC super welterweight world champion Sebastian Fundora registered his fourth successful title defense, securing a technical knockout in the dying seconds of the 12th round against Albania's Ermal Hadribeaj. The fight headlined a Premier Boxing Champions event at The Chelsea in Las Vegas.

Although Fundora held a commanding lead on the judges' scorecards heading into the final frame, he continued to press for a decisive finish. The breakthrough came at 2:59 of round 12, when a sharp left hook sent Hadribeaj crashing to the canvas, prompting referee Thomas Taylor to immediately wave off the contest.

Hadribeaj, who entered the ring with an unblemished record, showed tremendous heart and brought the crowd to their feet with an impressive second round, effectively closing the distance against the towering champion. As the rounds progressed, however, fatigue began to take its toll. Fundora systematically broke him down with left uppercuts and punishing combinations to the body, while the challenger was deducted points in rounds three and eleven for excessive holding.

With this victory, the 28-year-old Fundora improved his professional record to 25-1-1 (17 KOs). For the 33-year-old Hadribeaj, it marked the first defeat of his professional career, moving his ledger to 23-1-1.

Speaking after the fight, the American was thrilled with the last-second stoppage:

"I loved knocking him out in the final second, it was dramatic. When I saw him almost go down from the overhand left, I told myself: 'Let’s throw it again.'"

Looking ahead to his future in the division, Fundora added: