Sebastian Fundora vs Keith Thurman Gets New Date On Boxing Legend's Undercard

WBC super welterweight title fight expected to be on Manny Pacquiao's event in January 2026
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

One week after their sudden fight cancellation, Sebastian Fundora and Keith Thurman already have a rescheduled date targeted.

The WBC super welterweight title fight is now expected to be on the undercard of a Manny Pacquiao-headlined event in January 2026, Ring Magazine insider Mike Coppinger reported. Pacquiao announced that the event will be on Jan. 24, but Coppinger noted that it could be pushed back a week to Jan. 31.

All parties involved have been intent on keeping the matchup intact since the fight cancellation. That did not stop Thurman from airing his frustrations over yet another delay in his career.

Pacquiao announced the date and the event, but remains without an opponent. Reports suggest the current frontrunner is WBA regular welterweight champion Rolando 'Rolly' Romero, who is coming off a massive upset win over Ryan Garcia in May.

The fight will be the second of Pacquiao's latest comeback. 'PacMan' recently ended a four-year layoff, fighting WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios to a draw in June.

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Although Pacquiao turns 47 in December, he remains one of the biggest draws in boxing. His fight with Barrios took the cake on an eventful day in the sport, and his performance impressed many who believed that the younger, taller Barrios would walk through him.

If Fundora and Thurman are added to Pacquiao's fight card, it will be the first confirmed bout for the marquee event, which is expected to be the first in the United States under Manny Pacquiao Promotions.

Sebastian Fundora vs. Keith Thurman rebooked after canceled event

Keith Thurman
Jul 20, 2019; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Keith Thurman boxes against Manny Pacquiao (not pictured) during their WBA welterweight championship bout at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Pacquiao won via split decision. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Fundora and Thurman were initially scheduled to headline a Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view fight card on Oct. 25. A hand injury forced Fundora to withdraw, causing the PBC to cancel the event entirely.

Thurman has a history with Pacquiao, having fought him for the WBA welterweight title in July 2019. Pacquiao handed Thurman his first professional loss, sending the latter on a three-year layoff.

Assuming the matchup remains true, it will be Thurman's first world title fight since the loss to Pacquiao. He has only fought twice in the last six years, picking up a decision win over Barrios in February 2022 and a third-round TKO over Brock Jarvis in March.

Had Fundora's hand injury not occurred, the scheduled title fight would have been Thurman's first time fighting twice within the same calendar year since 2019. Instead, the two appear destined to meet early in 2026 with more bad blood now brewing between them.

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Jaren Kawada
JAREN KAWADA

Jaren Kawada is a combat sports writer who specializes in betting, with over five years of experience in boxing and MMA. When he is not covering the sport, Kawada is an avid MMA, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing practitioner. Kawada has previous bylines with ClutchPoints, Sportskeeda MMA, BetSided and FanSided MMA. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kawada has a B.A. in Sports Media from Butler University and now resides in Denver, Colorado.

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