CARSON, Calif. – “The Towering Inferno” Sebastian Fundora went up in smoke Saturday as Brian Mendoza scored a stunning come-from-behind, seventh-round knockout victory to shock the undefeated upstart.

After having very little success for the first six rounds, the 11-to-1 underdog Mendoza improbably found lightning in a bottle when he caught and crushed Fundora with a snapping left hook. When a stunned Fundora momentarily bent, Mendoza followed up by connecting with a clubbing right and left hook. 

Fundora fell to the canvas and couldn’t muster up the strength to stand back up as referee Ray Corona counted to ten. A disappointed Fundora shook his head as an ecstatic Mendoza fell to his knees and pounded the canvas in celebration. The fight was called off 39 seconds into the seventh round. 

Mendoza (22-2, 16 KOs) won the interim WBC title in a bout that headlined a Premier Boxing Champions on Showtime card at the Dignity Health Sports Park. 

“I started losing a couple of rounds but I didn’t care, you’ll never see me give up,” said Mendoza. “I would’ve given up years ago when I took some losses. I kept on sparring and look at me now. A year ago I was a swing bout after the main event. Nobody cared who I was or what I was doing. This is proof. You keep working you’re going to make it, baby.” 

Until the knockout, the 6-foot, 6-inch Fundora (20-1-1, 13 KOs), from nearby Coachella, was successfully leveraging his massive size, a frame that featured a near-eight-inch height advantage and a 10-inch reach advantage, to neutralize and outbox Mendoza. 

Fundora was landing the left uppercut at will until the will of the 29-year-old Mendoza surfaced once again. The Ismael Salas-trained Mendoza was riding incredible momentum coming into the fight after knocking out and sending former unified 154-pound champion Jeison Rosario into retirement in November.

Mendoza brought the same magic and mojo against Fundora. 

Heading into the seventh, Fundora held a 100 to 59 advantage in total punches landed and a 75-53 lead in power punches landed, per CompuBox, and he was up on all three cards with scores of 60-54, 60-54, and 59-55.

“I told you guys I wasn’t just a strong puncher. I was a strong puncher for those rounds that he was catching me,” said Mendoza. “I hesitated, but I saw he was open so I had to head in for the kill because I knew he wasn’t gonna stop coming either.

“I never quit. I keep going. You can beat me all you want, but if you don’t kill me, I’m coming back. They didn’t kill me in my career and it’s too late now, I’m getting better each time. I want to thank Fundora for taking this fight. He didn’t need to take it. It was really risky for where he was at.” 

Fundora opened the first frame by keeping Mendoza at range in what mostly amounted to a feeling-out round. The second was much of the same, as he controlled the distance by sticking out his jab. Restless fans in attendance started jeering and demanded more action. 

Fundora considerably picked up the offense in the third, going inside and pressing forward with a three-punch combination as well as several more left uppercuts and right hands to the body. 

Mendoza tried to move laterally a bit more in the fourth, but Fundora found him no matter the direction he went. Mendoza increasingly got low to land overhand rights, but the punches were landing near Fundora’s chest. 

Fundora stood shoulder to shoulder and started teeing off on Mendoza in the fifth round with several crushing uppercuts that busted Mendoza’s nose. 

The fight continued at close quarters in the sixth, but it was the southpaw Fundora clearly winning the exchanges. At one point, he unleashed three straight left uppercuts to the head of a defenseless Mendoza. 

And then the seventh round started, and Fundora ate three straight punches himself, and Mendoza pulled off the miracle. 

“I’m good. For one second I turned off but I guess that’s boxing, right? It happens. You just get caught with a punch,” said Fundora. “I did some punching and then I got caught you know.

“He was throwing that overhand right all night and I was dodging and dodging, but in boxing, the second you fall asleep, you get punished.

“It was a good punch. I don’t recognize that moment, but I’m fine. I’m healthy now, and I’ll be back. I’ll be back to take the division and this is a step up and a step-down. It happens, but I’ll be back.” 

Fundora was coming off a commendable 2022 campaign in which he scored a stoppage win against Erickson Lubin in a fight-of-the-year contender last April to win the interim title. Fundora followed up that performance with a unanimous decision win against Carlos Ocampo.

“I’m not sorry I took this fight – this is boxing. We gotta fight and we have to make these fights. Congratulations to Brian Mendoza. He did his thing, but as I said, I’ll be back,” said Fundora. 

Jermell Charlo currently owns the world title picture at 154 pounds as the undisputed champion, and the Houston native is trending toward a clash with Tim Tszyu once his left hand heals. If Mendoza’s plan is to face Charlo, he’ll have to keep himself busy by finding viable dance partners within the PBC stable. 

Some notable next opponent considerations for Mendoza at 154 pounds could include a rematch to avenge a 2021 loss to Jesus Ramos, fights against the likes of Brian Castano and Joey Spencer, as well as matchups against the past-their-prime likes of Danny Garcia, Terrell Gausha, Tony Harrison, Jarrett Hurd, and Jessie Vargas, among others.

“Now that I have this belt I want to put this around my mom hopefully. I earned this,” said Mendoza. “I want to celebrate with my family. But they can’t deny me now. The next one up is Charlo he’s obviously undisputed, but I just always want the best.” 

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.