History was made on Sunday as Jai Opetaia secured the first-ever Zuffa Boxing title.
The Australian boxer defeated Brandon Glanton, securing a unanimous decision win with scores of 119-106 from all three judges.
This victory brings his record to 30-0 and adds another title to his collection.
Zuffa had its first title on the line after launching in January under the leadership of Dana White, Nick Khan as well as a partnership with Saudi Arabian company Sela.
Opetaia now holds the Zuffa and Ring Magazine championship belts, having previously held the IBF Cruiserweight title before this fight.
Jai began the fight calmly, landing several effective punches in the early rounds while evading Glanton’s attacks. He was close to finishing in the 12th round, but Ganton’s chin withstood the pressure, forcing the bout to a decision.
On the other side of the ring, Glanton lacked agility and struggled to put together his own attacks.
Glanton lost a point in the 6th round for holding, and another in the 8th for low blows. Opetaia also had a point taken away in the eleventh round for holding.
Opetaia’s victory further proves he’s one of the best cruiserweights, though he hasn’t yet secured undisputed status. In 2022, he claimed the IBF title, and since then, he has competed in six championship bouts.
He was stripped of his title because the IBF withdrew its sanction for the bout only a few days before fight night. The reason for this was his choice to pursue the Zuffa title over the IBF mandatory challenger or championship bouts involving the WBO, WBA, or WBC.
This situation is a prime example of how boxing politics can prevent deserving fighters from receiving proper recognition.
“I’m chasing the [undisputed] belts. I’ve not lost track of it and I never have. I’ll get the belts back and become undisputed.” Jai said in his post-fight interview with Max Kellerman.
In May, David Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) will go head-to-head with Gilbert Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) who holds the WBO and WBA Cruiserweight titles. The winner will be on Opetaia’s radar next, moving him closer to his goal of becoming undisputed champion.