Will Ermal Hadribeaj Be Albania’s First Boxing Champion?

Will Albania crown its first world boxing champion this Saturday? Contender Ermal Hadribeaj hopes he will make it happen.

The undefeated super welterweight will challenge WBC champion Sebastian Fundora in the main event at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

The championship fight headlines the latest edition of "The Fight" on TNT Sports , also airing on DAZN Boxing, starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on October 17.

No world boxing champion has ever come from Albania. Ermal Hadribeaj hopes to be the first on Saturday, October 17, in Las Vegas. What better place to bet on yourself?

The undefeated mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj (23-0-1, 8 KOs) will step into the ring looking to become Albania's first boxing world champion and fulfill his lifelong dream when he battles WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Sebastian "The Towering Inferno" Fundora of Coachella, California (24-1-1, 16 KOs), headlining the latest installment of "The Fight" live on TNT and DAZN on Saturday, October 17 from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

NY Fights spoke with both Hadribeaj and Fundora during a recent online interview session. Asked whether Hadribeaj felt the pressure from his country, the 32-year-old said his path to this opportunity has prepared him for the moment.

"The way that I came to this moment will help me when the fight finally starts. I got here because I worked for it. I went step by step. The pressure is already gone by now," said Hadribeaj.

"This fight means a lot to me. There are a lot of fighters who want to be in my position. So, I'm very grateful. Now it's not a dream anymore. I'm living it. I've been stepping in silence. I've just kept working to make it to this point."

The 32-year-old Hadribeaj live and trains in Miami with trainer Donato Demartiis. Hadribeaj started working with Demartiis in 2018 when he was competing in MMA. It was Demartiis who suggested Hadribeaj give boxing a try. When he beat up his sparring partner, the two men came up with a plan to put him on the right path.

Eight years later, Hadribeaj will get the chance to become the first Albanian world champion in boxing with Demartiis in his corner.

Hadribeaj tells the story of how it happened.

"I trusted his words, and I committed myself 100% to boxing. I've given everything to make this happen because he trusted me since day one. With each fight, we were improving. I was giving everything to win. We kept pushing and made sure that we never gave up," said Hadribeaj.

Hadribeaj won a 12-round decision in May over Bakary Samake in the main event of a ProBox TV card to become the WBC's mandatory challenger for Fundora, who honored the matchup.

Tricky Southpaw Sparring Partners Hadribeaj's Secret Weapon

In camp, Hadribeaj turned to the man who has been a regular stand-in for Sebastian Fundora for a dozen challengers, the 30-year-old American southpaw Mykal Fox, a 6-4 super welterweight able to present a similar look to "The Towering Inferno" in camp. He was joined by another southpaw, the undefeated British regional super middleweight champion Ollie Cooper, who also stands 6-4.

Hadribeaj says together they helped prepare him for the unique experience opponents encounter fighting the 6-foot-5.5-inch Fundora.

"My sparring partners Mykal Fox and Ollie Cooper have been so supportive for my camp. They've been going twelve rounds with me multiple times a week. Ollie brings the pressure and Mykal is more crafty. So it was a great mix for me that helped me a lot," explained Hadribeaj.

"Sparring has been the key to prepare for Fundora's length. We worked on a lot of different scenarios, like moving around the ring and staying out of range of his jab and his crosses and uppercuts. We have to get the distance right."

Hadribeaj said Fundora has been one of his favorite fighters to watch for years. Hadribeaj believes many of Fundora's opponents used the wrong approach to deal with the height and reach difference.

"I always ask myself why his opponents choose their strategies and run into his punches. The opponents tend to get too caught up in their ego and try to compete with his height. I feel like they should just have been working on their stuff and not worry as much about what he's doing. Now I'll have my shot and I'm gonna do my best."

Hadribeaj even joked during the online interview that he knows it'll be a great fight. "We're getting ready for war. We know he's a warrior. He likes blood," laughed Hadribeaj, referring to the legendary bloodbath in the first fight between Fundora and former world champion Tim Tszyu.

Viva Las Vegas: Hadribeaj Thrives Under The Bright Lights

Although he was light-hearted talking with our group of boxing media, Hadribeaj is confident in himself and doesn't intend to make the kind of mistakes he saw from Tszyu as well as others.

Hadribeaj believes everything he's done leading up to this moment will allow him to be at his best when the bell rings. He knows there is grumbling about him being the mandatory challenger, standing in the path of unification fights with Jaron Ennis, Josh Kelly, and Vergil Ortiz Jr.

"I worked to get to this position," said Hadribeaj. "I'm not just confident for no reason. I earned this position and I earned this confidence. We deserve to be here. I trust my skills, I trust my power and I trust my team. I'm not scared to fight anybody."

Hadribeaj says he enjoys the crowds and the bright lights. Nothing Las Vegas can throw at him will rattle him.

"I don't panic or stress. I try to stay positive all the time. But the most important thing is that my work has been done correctly. If the work is done correctly, then it's easy for me to stay calm in any position."

Hadribeaj is nicknamed "The Albanian Sniper." But in his earlier boxing days, he was called "The Albanian Lomachenko" after the great Ukrainian southpaw.

Like Lomachenko, Hadribeaj is patient in early rounds as he studies his opponents. He then shifts into a higher gear, using footwork and timing to find openings for his efficient and accurate power punches. It's that accuracy that eventually earned him his current moniker.

"Fans are going to see a very unique style and a very exciting fighter," said Hadribeaj. "You're going to love this fight. We're definitely going to make this a war. I know that I'm new to the fans and I can't wait to show them what I'm all about with my performance."