On March 8, 2026, at Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Jai Opetaia faced Brandon Glanton for the first Zuffa Boxing Cruiserweight belt in the main event of Zuffa Boxing 4, a promotion led by Dana White and Turki Al-Sheikh.
The fight started cautiously, with both fighters measuring distance and feeling out their opponent. Once Opetaia found his rhythm, he controlled the pace, consistently landing clean punches before Glanton could respond. His quick footwork made it difficult for Glanton to land meaningful shots.
Mastery in Close Range
Many experts thought Glanton might have an advantage in the clinch or close-quarter exchanges, but Opetaia used his inside game effectively. His dirty boxing tactics allowed him to land short, sharp shots repeatedly, keeping Glanton off balance.
The referee applied strict rules during clinches, often separating the fighters quickly. Glanton had points deducted twice, while Opetaia lost one point for the first time in his career, which drew reactions from the ringside announcers. Even with the deductions, Opetaia’s dominance was clear, as the judges scored every round in his favor.
Opetaia continues his pursuit of becoming the undisputed Cruiserweight champion. Despite recently losing the IBF title, he still holds The Ring belt. His attention now turns to May 2, when Gilberto Ramirez defends his WBA (Super) and WBO Cruiserweight titles against David Benavidez, who is moving up in weight.
Meanwhile, Noel Mikaelian remains WBC champion, and the IBF belt is currently vacant, leaving plenty of opportunities for Opetaia to unify the division in the coming months.
Watch the highlights below:
The crowning moment
Jai Opetaia wins the inaugural Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight championship pic.twitter.com/adGSqwbBE9
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) March 9, 2026
The moment we’ve been waiting for!
Jai Opetaia and Brandon Glanton clash for the FIRST Zuffa Boxing Cruiserweight title NOW at #ZuffaBoxing04! pic.twitter.com/zUweZrFvDu
— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing) March 9, 2026
Opetaia triples up the right hand #ZuffaBoxing04 | LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus pic.twitter.com/GFQIMV4jmM
— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing) March 9, 2026
He CAN’T miss
Jai Opetaia’s accuracy is on point in our #ZuffaBoxing04 main event! pic.twitter.com/iuGZMwqmae
— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing) March 9, 2026
THE FIRST ZUFFA AND NEW!
Jai Opetaia gets it done to retain his Ring belt and win the Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight title pic.twitter.com/nJWgchkmen
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) March 9, 2026
THE FIRST ZUFFA AND NEW!
Jai Opetaia gets it done to retain his Ring belt and win the Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight title pic.twitter.com/nJWgchkmen
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) March 9, 2026
.@JaiOpetaia1 can feel the love!
The crowd SHOWED OUT for the Australian at #ZuffaBoxing04! pic.twitter.com/i78qTiNDJ8
— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing) March 9, 2026
