Thurman rejects champion’s claim older fighters should step aside
Sebastian Fundora says older fighters should step aside. Keith Thurman says the champion is about to learn why some veterans remain dangerous.
The exchange began after Thurman suggested that Fundora had never faced a true “OG” during his rise in the 154-pound division. Fundora dismissed the idea, arguing that fighters who reach a certain age should not still be competing in the sport.
Thurman, now 37 and preparing to challenge Fundora on March 28, rejected that view and said the champion will soon understand what experience still brings to the ring.
“Oh, he’s going to see. He wants to bring it. Like he said. He needs to do what he’s always done,” Thurman said to Premier Boxing Champions. “He needs to be Sebastian Fundora, and he’s confident. He feels like he’s growing, and he made a great statement.
“A lot of OGs aren’t here. Different generations and different times. Before I became champion, I had many ex-world champions that they put me in the ring with. They were still OGs holding it down. He’s going to see what an OG can do. The name is ‘One Time’ for a reason, not for a short season. March 28th, Fundora is going to find out.”
Keith’s comment turned the fight into a generational argument between a current titleholder and a veteran trying to show he still belongs at the top level. The 28-year-old Fundora represents the younger group now leading the division, while Thurman arrives as a former champion attempting to prove that experience can still compete with youth.
Thurman’s recent path back to a title opportunity has also been unusual. After spending three years out of the ring, he moved up to 154 pounds and stopped Brock Jarvis in March 2025 in his first fight in the division. That win now leads directly to a title shot against WBC champion Sebastian despite Thurman not having faced any contenders at 154.
The former unified welterweight champion has fought only twice since 2022, so it is difficult to know what Thurman has got left at this stage of his career. Fundora, meanwhile, enters the bout as the active champion and one of the most difficult fighters in the division to prepare for because of his size and pressure.
Their exchange has turned the fight into a generational argument. Fundora says older fighters should step aside. Thurman plans to show him otherwise when they meet on March 28.
