Sebastian Fundora will be the tallest opponent Keith Thurman has fought as an amateur or pro.

Thurman doesn’t consider Fundora the best tall southpaw he has agreed to face, though. That distinction belongs to Demetrius Andrade, who Thurman fought four times in the amateurs.

Andrade stands 6-foot-1, five inches shorter than Fundora. From a skills standpoint, Thurman thinks Andrade is better.

Andrade, a former junior middleweight and middleweight champ from Providence, Rhode Island, beat Thurman in their last three amateur matches. Thurman’s final loss to Andrade was for a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, forcing him to make his pro debut earlier than he had hoped.

“He was a very talented individual, 'Boo Boo' Andrade," Thurman told The Ring. “With my resume and my background, I see Fundora is an obstacle. He’s a freak of nature. But is he an Olympic talent like Demetrius Andrade? I would say not. And that gives me, Keith 'One Time' Thurman, who’s been in there with some of the best fighters in the world since he was a teenager to a pro, [confidence]. Right now I’m the little engine that could. I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. I'm a keep moving forward and step into that fire and try and come out unblemished.”

The 5-8 Thurman must deal with an approximate 10-inch height disadvantage against Fundora when they square off October 25 for the WBC super welterweight title. At 36, the former WBA/WBC welterweight champ from Clearwater, Florida, is also nine years older than Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs).

“A 6-foot-6 southpaw, one of the longest jabs in the sport of boxing right now,” Thurman said. “He’s the tallest champion in all [17] divisions. The Southern Baptist in me just can’t stop thinking about David versus Goliath. They’re putting me in with a giant. And I don’t know why, I can’t stop believing. I believe in myself.”

Thurman’s confidence notwithstanding, DraftKings installed Fundora as a 4-1 favorite to win their Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view main event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Apart from one light heavyweight fight early on, the disciplined Fundora has competed at or near 154 pounds throughout his nine-year career. The Coachella, California, native is 3-0 since Brian Mendoza knocked him out in the seventh round of their April 2023 bout in Carson, California.

Thurman (31-1, 23 KOs, 1 NC) boxed at the 154-pound limit only once, in his last fight. He stopped Australian Brock Jarvis (23-2, 21 KOs) in the third round March 12 in Sydney, Australia, but Fundora is a much more formidable opponent.