Brandon Glanton isn’t the opponent we’ve long wanted to see Jai Opetaia share the ring with, but that doesn’t mean that Opetaia-Glanton, on Sunday, is a bad fight.
Opetaia’s at the very top of the cruiserweight division, so the fight for him that most appeals is with Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, but with Ramirez fighting David Benavidez on May 2 that won’t be happening any time soon, so Glanton, as a solid opponent, can ensure a solid fight.
Glanton, had a very competitive fight with Chris Billam-Smith, who remains one of the world’s best cruiserweights, and he’s never been stopped – he’s also better than Jack Massey, David Nyika, Claudio Squeo, and Huseyin Cinkara, Opetaia’s four opponents since his successful rematch with Mairis Briedis.
Opetaia’s a warrior and an assassin, and he believes in his skills – there’s no question he’d willingly fight anyone. He’s incredibly athletic, big for the weight, has an extremely dynamic attack, power in both hands, is well schooled, and had the heart and hunger to resist a broken jaw to beat a very good Briedis in the first of two fights against him. He’s essentially the total package. The only concerns surrounding him are that because he’s so aggressive he can be hit and hurt, and also that he appears to struggle to make weight. But against that he’s about to fight for the fourth time in under 15 months – he’s among the busiest of the world’s elite fighters – and that level of activity makes it easier for him to make weight and to further hone his skills.
Glanton’s very durable, very strong, has a mean streak, can punch, and is always in very good condition. He can be one-dimensional and one-paced, and his attack lacks the dynamism of Opetaia’s.
His best chance of success lies in forcing a rough fight and getting into Opetaia’s head. He’s a good talker – if he can verbally assault Opetaia before and during the fight and then make it as physical as possible he has a chance.
The key for Opetaia is to stay as cool, calm and collected as he normally does. If he’s focused and disciplined, and doesn’t get caught with anything stupid, Glanton will have a difficult evening.
Opetaia, on the grounds of his skills and particularly his attack – he’s the all-round superior fighter – can be expected to win. He’s younger and fresher than Glanton, and he remains hungry, but while I expect Glanton to survive, I can’t see him winning.
Conor Benn signing for Zuffa Boxing might have caused more headlines than Opetaia, but Opetaia is the more significant recruit. He’s the best fighter in a strong cruiserweight division – if Benn returned to welterweight he wouldn’t even be in the top five. Opetaia’s all steak, no sizzle; Ben’s the opposite, a high-profile star without anything like Opetaia’s accomplishments.
It might yet transpire that Opetaia is forced to decide whether he and Glanton fight for his IBF title or the vacant Zuffa title. He’s long said he wants to be the undisputed champion – and I’ve always believed him; particularly because he’d be a very fitting undisputed champion – but this could prove a line in the sand for all concerned.
If the IBF make him choose between the titles, Opetaia potentially risks never becoming undisputed champion – the IBF apply their rules more consistently than any other sanctioning body. If Opetaia prioritises his title – which is what I would do – it would show how committed he is to his dream and represent a win for the old guard and the sanctioning bodies who continue to believe that titles matter. But if he prioritises the Zuffa title he can become the first ever Zuffa champion – that might not mean anything now, but the day might come when it does.
Even as the reigning IBF champion, there’s no guarantee of Opetaia fighting the WBC champion Noel Mikaelian or the winner of Ramirez-Benavidez. There’s also no guarantee of the WBC, WBA and WBO sanctioning fights for their titlists that also involve the Zuffa title.
Benavidez, by the way, would be my bet to beat Ramirez in May. Ramirez is a very, very good fighter who’s better than ever at cruiserweight but Benavidez is special – his confidence is at an all-time high, and he’s become one of the best fighters in the world.
