The undefeated Fundora has set his sights on 154-pound king Jermell Charlo after retaining his Interim WBC World Super Welterweight Title with a hard-fought 12-round unanimous decision over Carlos Ocampo Saturday night on SHOWTIME.
Sebastian Fundora can’t help himself. The rangy, talented WBC Interim Super Welterweight Champion has a penchant for fighting inside when his 6-feet-6 frame and 80-inch reach dictates he would be safe fighting from distance.
The “Towering Inferno” possesses unconventional dimensions and loves to defy convention each time he fights.
It’s probably why Fundora’s record remained spotless with a 12-round unanimous decision over gutsy Carlos Ocampo Saturday night on a Premier Boxing Event from the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, live on SHOWTIME.
It’s the second time Fundora, the exceptional 24-year-old from Coachella, California, went 12 rounds.
Fundora (20-0-1, 13 KOs) snapped the 12-fight winning streak by Ocampo (34-2, 22 KOs).
“I wanted to display a little boxing, I thought I would show a little boxing and put that on display but you know I still had to bang for the fans,” Fundora said. “That’s what they came here for so I had to give it to them. I felt my jab was solid and the difference and had him backing up.”
The Towering Inferno won by huge margins of 117-111, 118-110 and 119-109, with the judges agreeing on 10 of the 12 rounds. Fundora landed 259/871 total punches (30%) to Ocampo’s 192/869, and 200/506 power shots (40%) to his opponent’s 184/653 power shots (28%).
In the opening round, the southpaw Fundora was very active with his jab. He kept Ocampo away, and set up straight lefts to the face, which Ocampo ate with 1:59 left in the second round.
Fundora used the jab like a great shield. Ocampo had trouble getting away from the right jab in his face. When Ocampo did land the rare punch, Fundora quickly countered the shot.
Ocampo was effective striking the body in the third. He also landed an awkward left on Fundora’s neck in the round. Ocampo followed the third by landing a combination to the body in the fourth. He finally gotten inside of Fundora’s jab. In the last minute of the fourth, Ocampo landed a left hook and a right again to Fundora’s body.
As he walked back to his corner after the round, Ocampo confidently nodded.
“I never felt like he hurt me,” Ocampo said. “It was a tough fight, and Fundora was a quality opponent. I definitely want a rematch, as soon as I can. I’m gonna train even harder to knock him out next time. Mexico, this message is for you: Ocampo is here to stay.”
By the fifth round, the fighters were nose-to-nose. In the sixth, Fundora plowed Ocampo with a straight left.
In the eighth, it seemed a fatigued Ocampo was leaning on Fundora’s lithe frame to remain upright.
“You know I like to break my opponent down and he was very tough and his face swelled up too,” Fundora said. “But he banged. He’s a tough Mexican. My hat's off to him. In the middle I wanted to see if I could hurt him. I know (Errol) Spence caught him with a body shot and I saw in the middle of the fight he was open for the left uppercut to the stomach so I saw that would slow him down.”
After the eighth, referee Jack Reiss went to Ocampo’s corner to warn him that he would stop the fight if he did not see a better effort from Ocampo. Reiss claimed Ocampo had nothing on his punches.
Ocampo heard Reiss’ warning. He did engage Fundora, and paid for it with Fundora’s constant jabs and left uppercuts inside. Ocampo fought with more urgency again in the 10th, popping Fundora with a three-punch combination to the head.
Before the 11th, Reiss fined Ocampo’s corner because of excessive water spilled between rounds. Fundora started the round with the jab, and plowed Ocampo with a straight left 10 seconds later, using his length. He fought the 11th round from distance and denied Ocampo any chance to catch him. Fundora closed strong, though Ocampo made him work.
“I am pleased with this performance because I did what we trained for,” Fundora said. “I trained for boxing and I trained to stay at a distance and I think we did that in the fight. Of course, I want to face the winner of (undisputed junior middleweight champion (Jermell) Charlo and (Tim) Tszyu. I’m the WBC mandatory. I’ve earned my spot and we’ll see what happens. But I hope I’m next. Fingers crossed.
“This is a dream come true to fight on the same card as my sister. The past three fights I’ve got a little watery-eyed when I’ve come out for my fights. I’m like, ‘Wow, these fans are here for me?’ I want to thank all the fans who supported me and my sister. It means so much. It was a very hard camp but we pushed through. Hopefully we’ll see you guys again in the spring.”
Adames rocked Montiel in round 3 to score a TKO victory #AdamesMontiel #FundoraOcampo | @CarlosA20445906 pic.twitter.com/yIScbFLmmI
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) October 9, 2022
Carlos Adames captures the interim WBC middleweight title over Juan Macias Montiel
Carlos Adames continues to impress, scoring an explosive third-round knockout of Juan Macias Montiel for the interim WBC middleweight title.
Adames (22-1, 17 KOs) was overpowering, stopping Montiel (23-6-2, 23 KOs) for the second time in his career.
With just under two minutes left in the third, both fighters opened up for the first time. Adames thumped the attacking Montiel as he neared. Adames slammed a wide right into Montiel, who had won all of his fights by knockout.
An Adames’ right hook spun Montiel around with slightly less than a minute left, leading to referee Ray Corona calling an end at 2:37 of the third.
“I think I’m No. 1 and let’s hope the big names of the division have the courage to face me now,” Adames said. “I want to thank everyone who came out to see me. I do think I’m No. 1 right now.
“The referee did his job. I’m a strong fighter and if I had hit him again, I would have really hurt him. He’s a young guy and he still has a career ahead of him in boxing. I know once I connected on that right hand it was over and he didn’t have much left and then I went in for the kill. He was done at that point and I went on the attack. His face tells you everything.”
Adames credited trainer Bon Santos and preparation for the victory.
“My trainer Bob Santos knows a lot about boxing and he knows the hard work that we put in for this training camp,” Adames said. “I’m ready for the best of the division, for not just Jermall Charlo but for all the champions there. I want to face them and beat them.”
Montiel, who has lost two of his last three granted they were against WBC middleweight world champion Jermall Charlo and now Adames, did not run from the final result.
“No excuses,” he said. “He was better than me and I lost. The low blows were what they were, low blows, and I made sure I made myself heard about that. I’m gonna recover from this and gone back better and stronger. The people in Mexico should know that.”
Martinez is relentless #MartinezAncajas2 #FundoraOcampo pic.twitter.com/Ut4E2bvdVA
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) October 9, 2022
Fernando Martinez retains IBF junior bantamweight title in Jerwin Ancajas rematch
In a rematch from February of this year, IBF junior bantamweight world champion Fernando Martinez (15-0, 8 KOs) retained the title with a unanimous decision victory over Filipino southpaw Jerwin Ancajas (32-3-2, 22 KOs).
“This was about validating the first fight,” Martinez said. “I trained very hard for this fight. I have a lot of people to thank and this is for my dad up in heaven.
“It’s definitely harder to maintain the hunger and maintain the title but now we’re going after “Chocolatito” and everyone else in the division who’s in my way. My record shows that I’m a champion but it doesn’t show the intensity that I have in my fights. Now I can buy the house that my mother needs.”
Martinez beat Ancajas via unanimous decision in winning the IBF title. This time, the fight was far closer. It was even after six rounds, but Martinez’s stamina held up, while it seemed like Ancajas wore down.
Martinez, sensing Ancajas’ energy rate was depleting, sustained his activity rate. When Ancajas landed, Martinez appeared to walk through the shots.
Martinez was very effective inside, using counter lefts and straight rights.
In the 11th, the fighters got their legs tangled and Martinez fell to the canvas, but it was not a knockdown.
Martinez outlanded Ancajas in total punches, 214/674 (36%) to 185/785 (24%), and in power punches 222/584 (38%) to 168/544 (31%).
Martinez won by big scores of 119-109 once and 118-110 twice.
Martinez had rocked Ancajas near the end of the sixth, and Ancajas tried slowing Martinez in the seventh with a low blow, but that did not derail the hard-charging Martinez. With :44 left in the seventh, the fight was stopped for the ringside doctors to take a look at a cut on Ancajas’ forehead, which was caused by a head butt.
For a closer look at Fundora vs Ocampo, check out our fight night page.
