LAS VEGAS – From Tim Tszyu's perspective, Sebastian Fundora was bloody lucky 15 months ago.

If not for the grotesque gash Tszyu suffered near the middle of his hairline, the former WBO junior middleweight champion is convinced he would've defeated Fundora convincingly, perhaps by knockout, in March 2024.

Australia's Tszyu was very accurate with his right hand in the first two rounds, but their fight completely changed when Fundora's elbow grazed the 30-year-old's head just before the second round ended and blood began pouring out of a wide wound.

Tszyu fought through the blood and pain in making it to the final bell, but Fundora won a split decision at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena. Bakhram Murtazaliev, the unbeaten IBF junior middleweight champ, brutalized Tszyu seven months later, a 3rd-round technical knockout defeat during which Tszyu was dropped four times last October 19 in Orlando, Florida.

Tszyu wants to avenge both of those losses on his way to unifying 154-pound titles. One of Kostya Tszyu's sons will begin that mission Saturday night, when he’ll fight Fundora again for the 27-year-old's WBC belt in a 12-round rematch on the Manny Pacquiao-Mario Barrios pay-per-view undercard at MGM Grand Garden Arena (8 p.m. ET; 5 p.m. PT; $79.99).

"He should've killed me the first time," Tszyu said during a press conference Thursday, "because this time coming it's gonna be a whole different story."

Fundora-Tszyu II of course could headline another Premier Boxing Champions card. Instead Fundora (22-1-1, 14 KOs), of Coachella, California, and Sydney’s Tszyu (25-2, 18 KOs) are part of a stacked undercard beneath the 46-year-old Pacquiao's comeback from a retirement that lasted almost four years.

The nine-year pro expects to be better in their rematch not only because he hopes he’ll compete cut-free against Fundora, a 6-foot-6 southpaw standing eight inches taller than the right-handed Tszyu.

He also spent an entire training camp preparing for the unusually tall Fundora, having agreed to fight him on only 11 days' notice first time around after original opponent Keith Thurman suffered a biceps injury while training and withdrew from their matchup.

"I think with a proper camp, proper preparation," Tszyu said, "being able to see things that work and don't, it plays a big part. I will put on a different performance, a more intelligent one."

Tszyu's training team were criticised after their first bout as they didn't demand what was widely considered the smart move -- having referee Harvey Dock and/or a Nevada State Athletic Commission doctor stop their bout before round four concluded. If that happened, Fundora-Tszyu would've been ruled a no-contest as his cut wasn't caused by a punch.

A prideful Tszyu explained Thursday why he continued to fight that night, even with such a problematic cut on the top of his head.

"When I hop into the ring, I come in with the mentality that I’m gonna die in the ring," Tszyu said. "Sometimes that's a problem and for my corner to say, 'Oh, we're gonna stop the fight,' that was never part of what I'm about. I'm about just getting in there and just finishing to the very end. If it means you're gonna get knocked out, it means that.

"You try and get back up, get back up, get back up. For me, if my corner would've stopped it, I would’ve had the [expletive] with them, life and the fact I could've lived my life without knowing the true potential. So, that answers the question of why the corner didn't stop it."

Fundora questioned Thursday whether his cut was actually as impactful as it looked in the arena and on television, given Tszyu fought through it for 10 entire rounds.

"I was distracted," Tszyu continued. "Instead of coming back in my corner thinking about the fight, I was thinking about my cut and that always presents challenges, especially when you're fighting at the very, very top level.

"Sebastian came out saying that he thought I could see clearly, which facts was that I couldn't. But you know what? This is why the rematch is here. There's a lotta questions to be answered from both sides, not just mine and yeah, they will be."