Sebastian Fundora vs. Chordale Booker fight prediction, odds, start time, undercard, preview, where to watch

For much of his rise through the ranks, there were questions over whether Sebastian Fundora’s style would ever raise him to a world championship level. Fundora answered that question one year ago, scoring a split decision victory over Tim Tszyu to become the unified WBO and WBC junior middleweight champion. He will defend those two world titles against Chordale Booker on Saturday night.

Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KO) was not originally set to face Serhii Bohachuk for the then-vacant WBC title that night but was elevated to the main event when Keith Thurman pulled out of his fight with Tszyu. Just 11 days after accepting the fight, Fundora managed to score the narrow win in a war that saw both men covered in blood (mostly thanks to a nasty clash of heads early on).

Making the win all the more impressive for Fundora — whose 6-foot-6 frame is towering for the 154-pound division — is that he claimed his two world championships in his first fight since a shocking April 2023 knockout loss to Brian Mendoza. The loss seemed to confirm the worries of those who felt Fundora’s willingness, and even desire, to fight in scrappy, inside battles rather than use his height and reach would prevent him from reaching the elite ranks.

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Talk of big fights against Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford both went nowhere for Fundora and now he will make his first title defense against Booker.

Booker (23-1, 11 KO) won his first 17 professional fights and earned an opportunity to face Austin “Ammo” Williams on the undercard of the first meeting between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. The fight was a major disappointment for Booker, who suffered a TKO loss in the first round.

Booker has rebounded from that loss with six wins, though all against lightly-regarded opponents. He now has the biggest opportunity of his career with the opportunity to become a unified champion.

The undercard features some decent names looking to make an impact. Elijah Garcia is back in a middleweight contest against veteran Terrell Gausha. Garcia is coming off the first loss of his career in a disputed split decision against Kyrone Davis last June. Prior to that, Garcia was 16-0 with 13 KOs. Another interesting bout pits Jesus Ramos Jr. against Guido Emmanuel Schramm in a junior middleweight contest. Ramos, 24, enters at 22-1 with 18 KOs to his name. Ramos scored an eighth-round TKO of Jeison Rosario in February.

Let’s take a closer look at the rest of the undercard with the latest odds before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the main event.

Fundora vs. Booker fight card, odds

• Sebastian Fundora (c) -1400 vs. Chordale Booker +750, WBC and WBO junior middleweight titles
• Elijah Garcia -650 vs. Terrell Gausha +450, middleweights
• Jesus Ramos Jr. -2500 vs. Guido Emmanuel Schramm +1100, junior middleweights
• Freudis Rojas -2500 vs. Maurice Lee +1000, welterweights
• Alberto Mora -550 vs. Viktor Slavinskyi +380, junior lightweights

Prediction

The odds are far too wide for this fight. Booker is a talented fighter who has turned his solid amateur career into a decent professional one. Fundora is favored by nearly the exact odds as when Mendoza knocked him out, so we have seen him fail to live up to similar expectations. That said, we’re not making a “best bet” suggestion here. If we were, Booker by decision at +2000 is mighty juicy.

Fundora is a tough puzzle to solve. He’s extremely tall and his jab is an effective weapon when he chooses to utilize it rather than stand toe-to-toe and trade shots. Booker’s chin is a question after what Williams was able to do to him, leaving him in an awkward space of needing to both get inside and not get caught by the power coming from his taller opponent.

Booker also has a bad habit of not pulling away enough against fighters below his level, as shown by fighting to split decisions against Sanny Duversonne and Ve Shawn Owens. Booker is a live underdog here but an underdog nonetheless. Pick: Sebastian Fundora via TKO9