Dana White Announces Zuffa Boxing's First Ever Championship Fight

The historic title fight will feature the promotion's biggest signing, IBF and Ring Magazine champion Jai Opetaia, against American veteran Brandon Glanton (via Zuffa Boxing on X):

This event is strategically scheduled for the night after UFC 326: Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira 2, creating a major combat sports weekend in Las Vegas.

The undefeated Australian Opetaia is widely considered the top cruiserweight in the world and represents a major coup for the new promotion. He’s also the biggest name signed to the promotion to date. 

His opponent, Brandon Glanton, enters with a 21-3 win-loss record, and won four of his last seven fights. While he has beaten decent fighters like Marcus Browne and Aleksei Egorov, Opetaia is easily the biggest test of his career.

More than a Title Fight

This title fight is a pivotal moment for Zuffa Boxing's vision. A vision that traditional boxing promoters and journalists have criticized.

White, however, has consistently criticized traditional boxing bodies, even going so far as to feud publicly with promoters like Eddie Hearn and Oscar De La Hoya. He has also responded to the critics who rebuke his support for the Muhammad Ali Revival Act.

White plans to crown Zuffa’s own champions and use The Ring Magazine's rankings, which is owned by Alalshikh, to determine contenders.

However, Opetaia's signing introduced complexity to that plan, as he desires to unify the four major cruiserweight titles (via Fight Hub TV):

“We’ll become the first undisputed, including the Zuffa belt, and I want to break history and become the first undisputed with the Zuffa belt,” he said in his Fight Hub TV interview shortly after signing with the new promotion.

White has shown little flexibility, however, and it is still unclear whether or not Zuffa will support that goal. 

When asked during a post-fight press conference for Zuffa Boxing’s inaugural event about his willingness to work with other sanctioning bodies, White responded, "When you say work with them, as far as what? Them coming in and doing belts? Nah. I’m not interested in that at all." 

The March 8 championship fight will mark the fourth event for the fast-moving promotion. Zuffa Boxing held its first card in January, headlined by prospect Callum Walsh, and has events scheduled throughout February. 

Financed by Saudi Arabia with minimal financial risk to parent company TKO, White is trying to position Zuffa as a formidable, long-term player. The Opetaia-Glanton clash will be the first major test of whether a UFC-style model can thrive in the complex world of championship boxing.