Jai Opetaia (29-0, 23 KOs) will soon take on Brandon Glanton (21-3, 18 KOs) in a 12-round cruiserweight contest.
Their bout headlines a Zuffa Boxing card at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, NV. Fight fans in the United States can catch the action live on Paramount+. Those in select countries will be able to do so on the Zuffa Boxing YouTube channel. Opetaia was the IBF cruiserweight world champion, but the sanctioning body has ceased it’s recognition of him. The Ring magazine title and a title created by Zuffa Boxing will be at stake, for what it’s worth.
Both men spoke at a press conference ahead of their March 8 clash. Below is some of what they had to say.
Jai Opetaia vs. Brandon Glanton press conference quotes
Jai Opetaia
“I don’t look at him as an underdog at all,” said Opetaia. “It’s fair go. I’ve trained very hard for him. I’m expecting a Brandon that I haven’t seen yet. I’ve prepared for a Brandon that I haven’t seen yet. The best version of him. Because like he said, this is his time to change his life and become a world champion. This is what it takes. I know what it takes. I know how deep we got to dig. Let’s get in the trenches.”
“Yes, [the IBF world title] will be [on the line]. Don’t listen to everything you see on the internet because everyone’s spreading rumours, but I’m very grateful that the boys have been on board. It’s my dream to become undisputed and unless everyone works together towards that dream, I can’t accomplish that.”
Brandon Glanton
“You know what? Everybody saw the same thing I saw,” said Glanton of Opetaia’s last fight. “You don’t look for mirror images. You look for tendencies. So, only thing I took away is that he did his job.”
“At the top level, everybody can punch. Everybody got speed, everybody been here before. Being bulletproof [his nickname] is more of a mindset. Obviously, you’ve seen me fight. I can take a great shot. But, being bulletproof is a mindset. Bulletproofing your integrity, your training, your eating habits. How you treating people. So it’s more of a goal for us to get to. For everybody to be bulletproof. When you fighting, you know what it is. You got to take a shot. Everybody can punch. It’s nothing new…”
Fight prediction
Glanton has power that could be cause for concern. However, Opetaia has fought boxers such as him and put them away with relative ease. The Australian also possesses knockout power and the ability to outwork opponents. Expect him to get the better of Glanton and secure the stoppage between rounds seven to nine.
Full press conference
For the press conference in its entirety, click here or the play button below. Video courtesy of Zuffa Boxing.
