Sebastian Fundora, the WBO junior middleweight champion, has been given the green light to conduct a voluntary title defense, according to the World Boxing Organization. Fundora, known for his towering presence in the ring, will now have the chance to face any top-15 ranked contender within the WBO’s world rankings. This will be his first defense since his victory over Tim Tszyu in March.
However, the WBO has made it clear that the winner of this voluntary defense will be required to face the WBA champion and WBO interim champion, Terence Crawford, within 180 days. If Fundora fails to meet this condition, he risks having his WBO junior middleweight title declared vacant.
Watch Tszyu vs. Fundora, behind the scenes episode: Watch
Initially, the WBO had ordered negotiations between Fundora and Crawford, giving them a 30-day window to strike a deal. Although a fight between the two champions was anticipated, both parties opted to delay their bout until the second half of 2025.
There was also speculation that Errol Spence might be Fundora’s next opponent, but since Spence is not ranked in the WBO’s top 15, the organization does not support that matchup.
Image Credit: X