Former IBF cruiserweight champion controls distance and lands cleaner punches in Zuffa Boxing main event in Las Vegas
Jai Opetaia defeated Brandon Glanton by unanimous decision Saturday night in the main event of a Zuffa Boxing card at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. After twelve rounds, Opetaia’s sharper punching and steady workrate secured a wide decision.
The win marks Opetaia’s first fight under the Zuffa Boxing banner and keeps the unbeaten Australian active in the cruiserweight title picture.
Opetaia established range early. He used lateral movement, stepped around Glanton’s pressure, and started the offense with the jab before sending the straight left behind it. Glanton pressed forward but struggled to land clean while walking into counters.
Through the middle rounds, Opetaia’s southpaw left hand became the key weapon. He mixed body shots with uppercuts on the inside and short combinations whenever Glanton closed the distance. Glanton continued pushing forward and tried to rough the fight up along the ropes, yet the cleaner punches came from Opetaia.
There were several point deductions across the bout. Glanton was penalized for low blows and holding, while Opetaia also lost a point for holding during the later rounds.
Glanton had brief success on the inside with short shots, but he absorbed the heavier punches across most of the fight. Opetaia repeatedly worked the body and landed sharp straight left hands that kept Glanton from building momentum.
Effective aggression and cleaner punching decided the fight.
The final round produced Opetaia’s strongest finish. He dug to the body, followed with uppercuts inside, and closed the fight with combinations as Glanton held to reach the bell.
All three judges scored the fight 119-106 for Opetaia
With the victory, Opetaia improves to 30-0 with 23 knockouts. Glanton falls to 21-4.
The result keeps Opetaia among the leading cruiserweight contenders as the division’s championship picture continues to take shape.
Zuffa Undercard
Ricardo Salas stopped Jesús Saracho in the ninth round of their scheduled ten-round welterweight fight Saturday night at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. Referee Robert Hoyle stepped in at 2:05 of the round after Saracho absorbed repeated clean punches.
Salas controlled the fight with steady pressure and consistent punching through the later rounds. Saracho remained upright but was taking clean shots without returning enough offense, forcing the stoppage.
Salas improves to 23-2-2 with 17 knockouts. Saracho falls to 16-3-2.
Vlad Panin secured a ninth-round technical knockout over Shinard Bunch in a scheduled ten-round bout.
Panin built the lead with straight punches and steady workrate before increasing the pressure in the ninth. Referee Allen Huggins stopped the fight at 2:29 with Bunch still on his feet but absorbing unanswered punches.
Panin moves to 24-2 with 16 knockouts. Bunch drops to 22-4-1.
Pablo Rubio Jr. remained unbeaten with an eight-round unanimous decision over Adan Palma in a featherweight fight.
Rubio scored two knockdowns in the third round. A left hook sent Palma to the deck before a straight right dropped him again later in the round. Palma recovered and finished the fight, but Rubio’s early knockdowns secured the scoring.
Judges scored the bout 77-73 twice and 76-74.
Rubio improves to 15-0. Palma falls to 14-1.
Joshua Juarez earned an eight-round unanimous decision over Jardae Anderson in a heavyweight contest.
Juarez kept the fight at range and landed the cleaner punches across the eight rounds. Anderson had moments but could not match the steadier work.
Judges returned scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75.
Juarez improves to 15-0. Anderson falls to 11-2.
Ethan Perez and Jaycob Ramos fought to a majority draw in their six-round featherweight fight.
Ramos was knocked down in the second round from a straight left hand. Perez went to the deck in the third after an overhand right. One judge scored the fight 57-55 for Ramos, while the other two returned 56-56 cards.
Perez’s record moves to 8-0-1. Ramos stands at 4-1-1.
Brady Ochoa and Adrian Serrano fought to a majority draw over six rounds at lightweight.
One judge scored the fight 58-56 for Ochoa, while the other two judges returned 57-57 cards.
Ochoa moves to 9-0-1. Serrano stands at 6-0-2.
Emiliano Alvarado opened the broadcast with a six-round unanimous decision over Erick Rosado.
Alvarado scored a knockdown in the second round with a left hook to the head and maintained control through the remainder of the fight.
Judges scored the bout 59-54 on all three cards. Alvarado improves to 11-0.