Keith Thurman facts for kids

Keith Fitzgerald Thurman (born November 23, 1988) is an American professional boxer. He used to be a unified world champion in the welterweight division. He held the WBA title from 2016 to 2019. He also held the WBC title from 2017 to 2018.

Early Life and Training

Keith Thurman was born in Clearwater, Florida, in the United States. His father was African-American. His mother was European-American with Polish and Hungarian family roots.

Starting as an Amateur Boxer

Thurman had his first amateur boxing match in 1997. He was trained by Benjamin Getty, who also worked with famous boxer Sugar Ray Leonard. Getty helped Thurman become the fighter he is today.

Thurman had a great amateur career. He won 101 fights, with 76 of those being knockouts. He also won 6 National Championships, including the 2006 PAL National Championships. In 2007, he won a silver medal at the Olympic Trials.

Professional Boxing Journey

Today, Thurman is trained by Dan Birmingham.

Keith Thurman's Professional Career

Early Fights and First Titles

Keith Thurman started his professional boxing career on November 9, 2007. He was 18 years old. His first fight was against Kensky Rodney in Florida. Thurman won by knockout in the first round.

In August 2008, he beat Omar Bell, who had not lost a fight yet. Thurman won by knockout in the first round. In April 2009, his fight against Francisco Garcia ended early. It was called a "no contest" because of an accidental clash of heads.

Thurman became known for his powerful punches. Over time, he also became a skilled boxer. On November 26, 2012, he knocked out Carlos Quintana in the fourth round. This win earned him the WBO NABO super welterweight title. Quintana retired from boxing after this fight.

Moving to Welterweight

On March 9, 2013, Thurman moved down to the welterweight division. He fought Jan Zaveck, a former champion. Thurman won the 12-round fight by a unanimous decision. This was his first time fighting for 12 rounds. He also won the WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title.

Winning the WBA Interim Title

On July 27, 2013, Thurman fought Diego Gabriel Chaves for the Interim WBA welterweight title. Thurman won the title by knocking out Chaves in the tenth round. He had been landing strong body shots throughout the fight.

Defending the Interim Title

Thurman defended his interim title against Jesús Soto Karass on December 14, 2013. Soto Karass was a tough opponent. Thurman knocked him down twice and stopped him in the ninth round. Thurman showed he was a patient and smart boxer.

In April 2014, Thurman fought Julio Díaz. Thurman won when Diaz could not continue after the third round. Diaz said Thurman had a lot of power.

Thurman then defended his title against Leonard Bundu on December 13, 2014. Thurman won by a clear decision after 12 rounds. He knocked Bundu down in the first round.

Becoming WBA Welterweight Champion

On January 28, 2015, Keith Thurman became the full WBA welterweight champion.

Thurman vs. Guerrero

On March 7, 2015, Thurman fought former world champion Robert Guerrero. Thurman started strong and controlled most of the fight. He knocked Guerrero down in the ninth round. Thurman won by a unanimous decision. This fight was watched by many people, making it one of the most-watched fights since 1998.

Thurman vs. Collazo

Thurman's next fight was on July 11, 2015, against Luis Collazo in Florida. Collazo hurt Thurman with a body shot in the fifth round. However, the fight ended after the seventh round because Collazo had an injury near his eye. Thurman won by TKO.

Thurman vs. Porter

On June 25, 2016, Thurman defended his title against Shawn Porter. It was a very exciting fight. Thurman won by a close decision, with all three judges scoring it 115–113 in his favor. This fight was a big event, being the first main boxing event on CBS in prime time since 1978. Many people watched it, and it was named 'Fight of the Year' by Premier Boxing Champions.

Unified Welterweight Champion

Thurman vs. García

On March 4, 2017, Thurman had a big fight against Danny García. Garcia was also an undefeated welterweight champion. This fight was to unify the WBA and WBC titles. Thurman won the fight by a split decision. This meant he became a unified welterweight world champion, holding both the WBA and WBC titles.

Time Away from Boxing

After unifying the titles, Thurman had to take time off. In May 2017, he had surgery on his right elbow. He was out of action for several months.

In October 2017, he was named the WBA's 'super' champion. However, in April 2018, Thurman gave up his WBC title because of his injuries. He explained that he needed to focus on getting healthy. The WBC made him a "champion emeritus," meaning he could fight for the title again when he was ready.

Return to the Ring

In January 2019, Thurman returned to defend his WBA welterweight title against Josesito López. Thurman won the fight by a majority decision, even though he was hurt in the seventh round.

Thurman vs. Pacquiao

Thurman warming up with his trainer Dan Birmingham for the Pacquiao fight.

On July 20, 2019, Thurman faced boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao knocked Thurman down in the first round. This was only the second time Thurman had been knocked down in his career. Pacquiao won the fight by a split decision. After the fight, Thurman praised Pacquiao, calling him a "legendary boxer."

Career from 2022

Thurman vs. Barrios

Thurman did not fight for almost 31 months after his loss to Pacquiao. He returned to the ring on February 5, 2022. He fought Mario Barrios, who had also recently lost his first professional fight. Thurman showed he was a better boxer, winning by a unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 117–111 and 118–110 twice.

Thurman vs. Jarvis

On March 12, 2025, Thurman fought Brock Jarvis in Sydney, Australia. Thurman won the fight by TKO in the third round.

Personal Life

In 2016, Keith Thurman started dating Priyana Thapa, who is from Nepal. They got married in 2017.

Professional Boxing Record

Pay-per-view Bouts

See also

In Spanish: Keith Thurman para niños