The commentators hired by Zuffa Boxing to cover last night’s event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas did their best to convince viewers they were about to witness a great spectacle, but the reality inside the ring was far less exciting. The fight between Jai Opetaia and Brandon Glanton turned out to be completely one-sided from start to finish, to the point that the three judges did not award Glanton a single one of the twelve rounds contested. Opetaia therefore preserved his unbeaten record with a unanimous decision victory by a triple score of 119–106.
For convenience, in this article we will refer to Opetaia as the “champion” and to Glanton as the “challenger,” even though the International Boxing Federation world title was not on the line and even though Opetaia’s ownership of that belt could soon be called into question due to disputes between the federation and promoter Dana White. Here, however, we prefer to focus on the fight itself.
Opetaia approached the bout cautiously, circling quickly and taking the first round with a few well-placed shots late in the stanza. Even in these early moments, however, the agility gap between the two fighters became quite clear, with Glanton looking extremely cumbersome when trying to cut off the ring and read his opponent’s changes of direction.
The champion increased the pace in the second round, dominating it from start to finish and making it clear to his opponent that a measured and gradual pressure would certainly not be enough to turn the fight around.
Glanton understood the message and, starting from the third round, tried to change the rhythm, launching himself at his opponent with aggression and intensity. His timing, however, proved insufficient to reward his efforts: the American regularly ended up smothering his own attacks or threw his punches too early, making himself predictable.
Moreover, Opetaia showed he was extremely well prepared in close-quarters fighting. He did not allow himself to be worn down by his powerful opponent at short range, handled the clinches calmly and in the fifth round gave his rival a real lesson in infighting, frustrating Glanton to the point that he resorted to a blatant low blow.
At the halfway point of the bout the challenger was already completely out of ideas and dramatically behind on the scorecards. His deficit was further worsened by a rather severe point deduction issued by the referee in the sixth round for holding.
The second penalty given to the American in the eighth round was far more justified, after two violent consecutive uppercuts landed below the belt. Following the infraction, and taking advantage of an Opetaia who was still in pain, Glanton produced some of the best moments of his fight, but the Australian quickly regained control even before the end of the round.
Having exhausted all the weapons at his disposal, the challenger gradually lowered the intensity of his boxing, allowing Opetaia to open up. The tenth round in particular was highly dominant, with the Australian landing at will with both hands and displaying the best of his repertoire.
The championship rounds offered no surprises. Glanton was briefly shaken in the final round, but he showed excellent toughness, avoiding collapse and remaining on his feet until the final bell.
Although his opponent was not equipped to truly trouble him, Opetaia passed this test with flying colors. The Australian moved with authority and agility throughout the entire fight, providing convincing answers regarding his stamina, which had sometimes been questioned in the past. As usual, his punch variety was excellent, with the lead right uppercut standing out as a true boxing gem within his vast repertoire.
We will now see how the soap opera between Zuffa Boxing and the International Boxing Federation will unfold, and whether the Australian boxer’s dream of unifying the four internationally recognized world titles can come true in the near future.