Jai Opetaia punishes Brandon Glanton to claim the Zuffa cruiserweight title

Jai’s Opetaia was multiple levels above Brandon Glanton, bossing him around and claiming the Zuffa cruiserweight crown. His straight left hands and right hooks plus uppercuts were an endless scourge that bloodied the challenger’s lip and left him without answers as early as the first quarter of the fight.

It was a feel-out round for the first three minutes as Glanton tried to close the distance with his Australian southpaw foe, and then the latter started landing on the back foot in the second. Opetaia’s attack opened up further as he connected to the body with a straight left and punctured the dome with more with hammering right hooks. 

Glanton’s only hope was trying to jump him at the start of rounds and get inside. Yet, he ate too many sapping shots trying to get there and was inferior at close range as Opetaia outworked him. It was an avalanche that Glanton couldn’t escape from as he suffered 33 shots in the fifth and 35 in the sixth.

He was called for multiple low blows and had two points deducted in the sixth and eighth rounds for holding. Opetaia would also get the same punishment in the 11th, but he wasn’t phased, and his straight left hand, which was more like a laser, hurt Glanton in the period. He subsequently connected on another piercing straight left to the chin that staggered the challenger, and left him vulnerable to more heavy blows as he ended the fight damaged. 

Opetaia won via unanimous decision and all three score cards logged 119-106. Yet Glanton got to the finish line because his body is made of bricks and his heart is filled with courage. It was the only thing keeping him going as his head leaned forward too much, becoming an easier target. 

The IBF stripped Opetaia, who had been their champion since May 18, 2024,  of his title on Saturday, after his co-promoter had told Dan Rafael of Fight Freaks Unite that they thought the belt would be on the line. 

When asked about who he wanted to fight to defend his Zuffa championship, Opetaia (30-0) said, “Man, I’m chasing the belts. There’s been a lot white noise and stuff, a lot of stuff on social media, but I’m just hoping it gets worked out and we can still chase that goal. I have not lost track of it, and I never have. I’ve been stripped once before, I’ve been stripped again. I’ll get the belt back and I’ll become undisputed.”