On Sunday, March 8th, the newest promotional player in the sport of Boxing, Zuffa Boxing will showcase its fourth Boxing card at the MetaPlex in Las Vegas, NV. While this observer has quietly observed the previous three Zuffa events this column will not focus on the promotion itself, nor will it delve too deeply into its spearheading legislation that some will argue could lead to radical change in the sport of Boxing both for good and bad, but what Zuffa 4 will produce is the first world championship bout promoted under the Zuffa banner as in the main event undefeated IBF World Cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia will defend his title against current IBF number fifteen rated Cruiserweight contender Brandon Glanton in a scheduled twelve round bout that can be seen in the United States on digital subscription general entertainment network Paramount+.
This fight obviously will mark the first bout for the champion under the Zuffa banner, but most knowledgeable Boxing fans are likely aware that Jai Opetaia has quickly evolved into one of the sport’s hottest rising stars and through his aggressive style as a “Knockout Artist,” who has developed a reputation for scoring devastating knockouts, has been able to shine a light squarely on the often scarce Cruiserweight division that has consistently lacked both long-term name recognition value as well as marquee match ups that generate the type of attention that is often afforded to other divisions throughout the sport when top fighters in a division face each other, most notably the Heavyweight division. Much like virtually every notable Cruiserweight before him, Opetaia appears destined at some point to set his sights on the Heavyweight division both for bigger paydays and more mainstream recognition.
In twenty-nine professional bouts, Opetaia has scored twenty-three knockouts registering a near 80% career knockout percentage. Perhaps the most scary among those knockouts came in his last title defense last December when he scored a brutal eighth round knockout of previously undefeated Huseyin Cinkara in his native Australia. A knockout that left Cinkara hospitalized for several days with a brain bleed and a fractured vertebrae. While obviously no one wants to see any fighter sustain serious injuries, the knockout served as another example not only of what Opetaia is capable of, but the type of power he has in either hand. The type of punching power that is just as dangerous and capable of ending a fight at any moment as it progresses as it is early in a bout.
On this occasion, Opetaia will step in the ring with veteran contender Brandon Glanton. While Glanton will come into this fight rated fifteenth by the IBF and is likely viewed as a significant underdog, he does have a respectable record of 21-3, with 18 Knockouts and has a career knockout percentage of over 85% coming into what will be his first world championship opportunity. Glanton is a boxer/puncher that in addition to slowing an ability to score knockouts in his own right, has also never been stopped in his career and has shown the ability to go deep into fights as well.
What this fight will come down to in my eyes will all center on whether Glanton will be able to deal with and have an answer for the non-stop pressure and power of the champion. The thing that we have not really seen to this point is how Jai Opetaia will respond to a significant test. Brandon Glanton does have a well-rounded skillset and it will be interesting to see if he will be the opponent that can provide such a test.
In addition to the IBF world championship in the Cruiserweight division as well as recognition by Ring Magazine as its champion, this bout represents the first Zuffa Boxing world championship bout. Not simply the first world title bout promoted by Zuffa, but a world title bout in which the promotion which is part of TKO group which includes both the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and WWE under its corporate umbrella, will recognize its own champion complete with world championship belt as the promotion is attempting to establish a different format in the sport known as Unified Boxing Organizations (UBO’s) which in essence mirrors the format of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) where championships and rankings vary by specific promotion rather than rankings and championships being overseen by an independent sanctioning body. While the jury is out on whether this approach will be successful, beneficial for fighters, and likely requires a separate column in of itself due to the broader spectrum regarding proposed changes to the Muhammad Ali act, what I will say for now is even though the model of which the sport of MMA is not without its flaws and has thousands of promotions worldwide each with their own world championships per promotion, this should be viewed as an attempt to establish a different type of sanctioning organization albeit under a different format than the standard of traditional professional Boxing, but one that has been used with regard to Bareknuckle bouts that also have a promotional based championship format. Whether it will be successful on the traditional side of professional Boxing remains to be seen.
“And That's The Boxing Truth.”
Zuffa Boxing 04: Opetaia vs. Glanton takes place on Sunday, March 8th at the Metaplex in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen in the United States on digital subscription entertainment streaming network Paramount+ beginning at 5:30PM ET/2:30PM PT. (*Card and Start Times Subject To Change*) Check your local listings internationally.
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