Jai Opetaia to Battle Brandon Glanton for Inaugural Zuffa Boxing World Championship
Australian cruiserweight star Jai Opetaia is set to face American contender Brandon Glanton on March 8 in a highly anticipated bout for the first-ever Zuffa Boxing world championship. The fight will take place at the UFC's compact indoor Apex facility, marking a significant departure from traditional boxing venues and sparking debate within the sport.
Surprising Career Move Amid Unification Frustrations
Opetaia's decision to sign with Zuffa Boxing last month raised eyebrows across the boxing community, particularly given his longstanding ambition to become the undisputed cruiserweight champion. The 30-year-old Australian currently holds the IBF title, having initially claimed the belt in 2022 before losing it in 2023 and regaining it in 2024 following a dispute with the organisation.
Despite being widely regarded as the premier active cruiserweight in boxing today, Opetaia has faced persistent challenges in securing unification fights to consolidate his status. For some time, he has been linked to a potential showdown with Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez, but those plans were dashed when Ramirez scheduled a spring bout against David Benavidez instead.
This pattern of elusive unification opportunities appears to have influenced Opetaia's surprising pivot to Zuffa Boxing, a new organisation spearheaded by UFC president Dana White in collaboration with Saudi boxing matchmaker Turki Alalshikh.
Controversial New Championship and Venue Selection
The March 8 bout will see Opetaia and Glanton competing for the vacant Zuffa cruiserweight title in what represents a bold experiment in boxing promotion. Zuffa Boxing aims to streamline the notoriously convoluted belt system in modern boxing, where multiple world titles exist for each weight division. The organisation's long-term vision involves establishing a single primarily-recognised championship belt for every weight class.
Opetaia enters this contest with an impeccable professional record of 29 victories and no defeats, including 23 knockouts. His most recent performance was an eighth-round stoppage of Huseyin Cinkara in December. Meanwhile, Glanton brings a record of 21 wins and 3 losses, with 18 knockouts, having last fought in October when he stopped Marcus Browne in the sixth round to rebound from a previous loss to Chris Billam-Smith.
Potential Implications for Traditional Titles
This Zuffa Boxing debut may signal the end of Opetaia's second reign as IBF champion, though he will simultaneously defend his Ring magazine title against Glanton. The Ring magazine is owned by Alalshikh, and Zuffa's business partners TKO—the parent company of UFC and WWE—are keen to promote this particular belt as part of their broader combat sports strategy.
The fight represents a fascinating convergence of traditional boxing credentials and innovative promotional approaches, with Opetaia's established championship pedigree meeting Zuffa's ambition to reshape boxing's competitive landscape. As the March 8 date approaches, both fighters will be preparing for what could become a landmark moment in the evolution of professional boxing championships.
