And New! Opetaia Becomes First Zuffa Boxing Champion
· Yahoo Sports
Jai Opetaia and Brandon Glanton went head-to-head last night (Sun., March 8, 2026) for the inaugural Zuffa Cruiserweight title inside the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada in the main event of Zuffa Boxing 4, a historical bout for Dana White and Turki Al-Sheikh’s boxing promotion.
The two men took a while to get warmed up, but once Opetaia found his rhythm he dictated the pace of the fight throughout, constantly beating Glanton to the punch. Opetaia’s great footwork was a big factor because every time Glanton tried to unload a bomb Opetaia wasn’t there.
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On the inside, where some experts felt Glanton would have the advantage, Opetaia had his way with the challenger, as well, using his dirty boxing to clip the big man time and again. One of the big stories of the fight was the officiating, as the referee on duty didn’t appreciate the clinch game and gave both men little-to-no time to tie up before separating.
He also took a point away from Glanton on two occasions, and took one from Opetaia — the first of his career — which didn’t sit too well with the ringside announcers. Strict officiating aside, the judges had no trouble scoring the fight in Opetaia’s favor as the Australian-born fighter won every fight with relative ease.
Check out some of the highlights below:
The moment we've been waiting for! 🤩
— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing) March 9, 2026
Jai Opetaia and Brandon Glanton clash for the FIRST Zuffa Boxing Cruiserweight title NOW at #ZuffaBoxing04! pic.twitter.com/zUweZrFvDu
Opetaia triples up the right hand 👊💥#ZuffaBoxing04 | LIVE NOW on @ParamountPluspic.twitter.com/GFQIMV4jmM
— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing) March 9, 2026
He CAN'T miss 🎯
— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing) March 9, 2026
Jai Opetaia's accuracy is on point in our #ZuffaBoxing04 main event! pic.twitter.com/iuGZMwqmae
🏆 THE FIRST ZUFFA AND NEW!
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) March 9, 2026
Jai Opetaia gets it done to retain his Ring belt and win the Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight title 👑 pic.twitter.com/nJWgchkmen
🏆 THE FIRST ZUFFA AND NEW!
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) March 9, 2026
Jai Opetaia gets it done to retain his Ring belt and win the Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight title 👑 pic.twitter.com/nJWgchkmen
.@JaiOpetaia1 can feel the love! 🙌🫶
— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing) March 9, 2026
The crowd SHOWED OUT for the Australian at #ZuffaBoxing04! pic.twitter.com/i78qTiNDJ8
Opetaia still his eyes set on becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion despite getting stripped of the IBF title recently. He still holds The Ring belt and will be a very interested observer on May 2 as Gilberto Ramirez defends his WBA (Super) and WBO Cruiserweight titles against David Benavidez, who is moving up in weight to challenge “Zurdo” for his belts. Noel Mikaelian, meanwhile, holds the WBC strap while the IBF strap is currently vacant.
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