Sebastian Fundora (22-1-1, 14 KOs) is no longer a unified stripped super-welterweight champion after being stripped of his WBO belt.
A decision by the "Towering Inferno" and his team to honour a rematch with Tim Tszyu instead of an ordered mandatory title defense against Xander Zayas resulted in the end of his short-lived WBO title reign.
The sanctioning body confirmed that Fundora was stripped of the belt in a recent ruling.
“It is hereby resolved that… Fundora is hereby stripped his WBO Jr. Middleweight champion status, effective immediately,” declared WBO Championship Committee chairman Luis Batista-Salas. “[The] WBO Jr. Middleweight Championship is declared VACANT, effective immediately.”
The 27-year-old Californian defeated Australian superstar Tim Tszyu in March 2024 via unanimous decision, taking his WBO belt and collecting the vacant WBC bauble at the same time.
He made a successful defence of those two titles a year later in March 2025 to overmatched Chordale Booker, stopping him in the fourth.
Fundora decided to set up the rematch with Tszyu for July 19 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, instead of entering into purse bids with his WBO mandatory, Xander Zayas.
According to reports, the two sides asked for an extension on the deadline, pushing the date back to May 2, but it appears there was never any real intention to make the mandated fight.
Salas noted, "Mr. Sebastian Fundora has knowingly failed to comply with a valid, binding, and enforceable obligation as mandated by this Committee, which has imposed as a condition for the retention of his title and reaffirmed in multiple resolutions.
"Mr. Fundora failed to request or obtain prior written authorization from the WBO to engage in the bout publicly announced for July 2025 against Mr. Tszyu, and no justification has been presented for failure to comply with the mandatory defense order. In light of the foregoing, and in compliance with the WBO’s obligation to safeguard the integrity of its World Championships and enforce its rules uniformly, this Committee is compelled to act decisively."