LAS VEGAS – Sebastian Fundora assured those that think otherwise Thursday that he isn’t rusty.

“The Towering Inferno” resumed training almost 11 months ago, a month or so after he upset then-unbeaten Australian Tim Tszyu by split decision in a 12-round bloodbath last March 30 at T-Mobile Arena. Fundora’s father, Freddy, trains Sebastian and his sister, undisputed flyweight champ Gabriela Fundora, continuously so that they remain sharp when calls come for fights from promoter Sampson Lewkowicz.

“We don’t even do training camps,” Freddy Fundora said during a press conference Thursday at Mandalay Bay. “It’s our lifestyle. That’s what we do – box and box and box.”

Sebastian Fundora thought he would fight former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. at some point last year. A contract for that high-profile fight never came the Coachella, California native’s way, which left Fundora waiting to box and waiting to box and waiting to box.

This lengthy hiatus frustrated Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) because the 6-foot-6 southpaw wanted to build off the momentum he established by beating Tszyu (24-2, 17 KOs), who was knocked out in the third round of his subsequent bout by IBF junior middleweight champ Bakhram Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs).

The fighting Fundora family never stops working, though, which enabled the WBC/WBO 154-pound champion to remain in fighting shape while he awaited a date. He will finally defend his titles Saturday night against Chordale Booker (23-1, 11 KOs), who is ranked No. 5 by the WBO and 13th by the WBC.

“It hasn’t really been a layoff,” Sebastian Fundora said Thursday. “Maybe a layoff to the public, but I’ve been working this whole time. We went back into the gym back in May of last year. So, we’ve been working, waiting for this date. Now we have Booker this Saturday. So, we’re ready for whatever he comes with.”

The 33-year-old Booker, a southpaw from Stamford, Connecticut, has won six straight fights. The boxing public naturally remembers Booker’s only loss – a first-round technical knockout against Austin “Ammo” Williams in April 2022 at Madison Square Garden – more than any of his 23 victories.

Fundora, The Ring’s No. 5 junior middleweight, has made sure the ease with which Williams beat Booker hasn’t impacted his preparation for their Amazon Prime Video main event at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena. DraftKings has established Fundora as a 14-1 favorite to win the featured attraction of a tripleheader set to start at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT).

“I think it’s just gonna take the best Fundora to win this fight,” Fundora said. “You know, Chordale’s a top contender in this division. So, it’s up to me how I want to win this fight and how I’m gonna do it.”

If the heavily favored Fundora wins Saturday night, various intriguing fights could become available later this year within the stacked 154-pound division.

Puerto Rican contender Xander Zayas (21-0, 13 KOs) is expected to be named Fundora’s mandatory challenger by the WBO. Zayas told The Ring recently that he would welcome a fight with Fundora at Madison Square Garden next.

Fan-friendly Ukrainian Sergii Bohachuk (25-2, 24 KOs) is the WBC’s No. 1 contender for Fundora’s other title. Vergil Ortiz Jr. (23-0, 21 KOs), the WBC interim champion, is also an appealing option for Fundora.

Ortiz, Bohachuk and Zayas are respectively ranked second, sixth and 10th by The Ring.

“I’m very happy,” Fundora said. “Now we have a lot more opportunities, a lot more fights to be made now that we have these titles. Now they want to fight us because we have these titles. So, I’m very excited for the future and what’s to come.”