Fundora, Hadribeaj and rest of Oct. 17 card address media ahead of Las Vegas fight

LAS VEGAS — Sebastian Fundora is already thinking about the next knockout.

The WBC super welterweight champion spent time on a virtual call Thursday morning alongside four other fighters from a stacked October 17 card at The Chelsea inside the Cosmopolitan, and he sounded like a man with no plans of slowing down. "We've been working hard up in the mountains since our last fight and just getting ready for the next one," Fundora said. "I've been getting smarter and wiser. Everything is lining up." 

He's riding a three-fight knockout streak into his mandatory defense and doesn't plan on treating it any differently. "Hadribeaj still has that mechanism that he only knows how to win. He's protecting that 0," Fundora said. "But I've taken 0's before."

That defense comes against unbeaten Albanian challenger Ermal Hadribeaj, who is calling himself the "Albanian Sniper" and treating the fight as a career-defining opportunity. "This fight means that I can become the first Albanian world champion," Hadribeaj said. "That's really important to me and my team." He knows the blueprint every opponent tries against the 6-foot-5 champion, and he isn't interested in reinventing the wheel. "Everyone thinks to go to the body against his height," he said. "It's not about bringing something new, it's about working on specific things that will work." He also revealed the two aren't strangers. "I actually met him three years ago," Hadribeaj said, "and now here we are fighting for the title."

The co-main pairs WBA featherweight champion Brandon Figueroa with former titleholder Tomoki Kameda, and Figueroa has treated the buildup like a mission statement, relocating to Los Angeles for a three-month training camp under Manny Robles. "I came out here to L.A. for a reason. I wanted to make sure that winning is inevitable," Figueroa said. 

He's using the fight to answer questions raised by his loss to Stephen Fulton. "After the loss to Fulton I said that I wanted to make some changes," he said. "I want to be one of the best fighters on the planet. I feel like Manny and I are just getting started." As for Kameda's style, Figueroa isn't treating it as unfamiliar territory. "Japanese and Mexican fighters always make a great fight," he said. "I've seen it all. I feel like I'm a young veteran in this sport."

Kameda, who began camp in Japan before moving to Mexico six weeks ago, is chasing a second world title and another chapter for his family's boxing name. "The Kameda family has a long and storied history in boxing," he said. "Now it's about expanding that legacy and winning another world title." 

He's coming off a razor-thin result and is eager to move past it. "My last fight was very close and very tight for sure," Kameda said. "But right now I just want to turn the page and focus on October 17. I have a great opportunity in front of me to become world champion again." He'll head to Las Vegas a week out to finish camp.

Rounding out the card, two-division champion Jermall Charlo steps in against Australian Koen Mazoudier in a 10-round super middleweight bout, his second time fighting at the Cosmopolitan. Charlo, who has fought sparingly the last few years, didn't hide his intentions. "It's been a long camp for me," he said. "Fighting in Las Vegas is just like fighting at home for me. I'm making a statement. If he makes a wrong move, then I'm gonna send him back to Australia on his back." 

He credited longtime trainer Ronnie Shields for keeping him centered through an uneven stretch and framed this fight as a step toward a third weight class. "Ronnie Shields always keeps me poised. He's not just my coach, he's like a teacher," Charlo said. "I'm hungry for more activity. I'm taking things slowly but surely. I'm here and I'm ready."

The card streams live on TNT, truTV and DAZN as the fourth installment of the monthly 'The Fight' series, with the broadcast beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. It's promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing, with tickets on sale now through Ticketmaster.