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A QUESTIONABLE ENDING

Sebastian Fundora was comfortably ahead and closing in on a decision victory when he landed a devastating left hand that sent Ermal Hadribeaj to the canvas at the end of Round 12.

What followed was arguably the night's biggest controversy.

Hadribeaj got back to his feet at the count of eight. With the contest effectively over, referee Thomas Taylor nevertheless waved off the fight, awarding Fundora a TKO victory with the official stoppage recorded at 2:59.

S³ strongly disagrees with that decision.

The knockdown was legitimate. The count was appropriate. But Hadribeaj beat the count, and there was no meaningful fighting time remaining.

He deserved the opportunity to finish the contest on his feet and hear the judges' decision.

THE FIGHT SHOULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED EARLIER, NOT LATER

There is another element to this controversy.

S³ believes Hadribeaj's corner should have seriously considered stopping the contest following Round 10.

By then, the challenger was exhausted, absorbing sustained punishment to the body and increasingly struggling to defend himself effectively.

But the corner allowed him to continue. He survived the eleventh and fought through nearly the entire twelfth.

Then, after getting up from a knockdown at the final bell, he was denied the opportunity to complete the distance.

Those are two separate issues.

Protecting a fighter from unnecessary punishment is essential. But once Hadribeaj had been allowed to reach the final seconds and beat the count, the referee needed a compelling reason to deny him the finish.

FUNDORA WON THE FIGHT, BUT NOT WITHOUT QUESTIONS

Fundora deserves credit for overcoming a difficult opening four rounds and making the adjustments necessary to control the second half.

His sustained body attack, uppercuts and tremendous conditioning ultimately separated him from the challenger.

Nevertheless, his defensive vulnerabilities remain concerning.

Hadribeaj repeatedly found openings, made Fundora uncomfortable and demonstrated that the champion can be outboxed.

S³ does not consider this a top-notch performance.

THE S³ VERDICT

Winner: Sebastian Fundora
Official Result: TKO, Round 12 (2:59)
S³ Stoppage Assessment: Questionable
S³ Rankings Decision: No advancement

Fundora was winning the fight. Nobody needed a controversial last-second stoppage to establish that.

Hadribeaj may have lost the championship contest, but after everything he endured, he deserved to hear that final bell standing.

The champion earned his victory. The challenger deserved his twelve rounds.

S³ Sweet Science Sports