All articles tagged with #jai opetaia
Dana White has firmly rejected UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland’s request to cross over into boxing to fight Zuffa Cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia. The refusal comes amid a significant pay dispute between Strickland and the UFC, which has left the 185-pound title undefended. White maintains that crossover fights are generally unsuccessful, while Strickland remains locked in a contractual impasse.
Ryan Garcia successfully defended his WBC welterweight title with a second-round technical knockout of Conor Benn at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In the co-main event, Jai Opetaia stopped world champion Noel Mikaelian in the ninth round to unify cruiserweight titles. The event, hosted by Zuffa Boxing, sold out the venue with 18,855 attendees and generated over $8 million in gate revenue. Garcia’s victory marked his first title defense, while Opetaia’s win ended Mikaelian’s undefeated streak.
Dana White confirmed that the cruiserweight title fight between Jai Opetaia and Noel Mikaelian will proceed as scheduled at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, despite a formal cease-and-desist letter from Don King Productions. The dispute centers on promotional rights, with King claiming exclusive authority over Mikaelian, while Zuffa and the fighters assert the bout is valid. Both champions face the risk of losing their respective world titles due to sanctioning body actions, yet they remain focused on the upcoming match.
Jai Opetaia defeated Brandon Glanton by unanimous decision on a Zuffa Boxing card in Las Vegas, improving to 30-0 (23 KO) and becoming the first Zuffa Boxing world champion, though he was stripped of the IBF title amid a sanctioning-body dispute. The scores were 119-106 on all cards, with Opetaia docked a point for holding in the 11th. Glanton dropped to 21-4 and fought hard, even as he was penalized for holding and a low blow. Opetaia also holds the Ring Magazine cruiserweight title and voiced interest in unifying the division, potentially facing the Ramirez-Benavidez winner.
Jai Opetaia defeated Brandon Glanton by unanimous decision (119-106 on all cards) over 12 rounds to claim the inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight title in Las Vegas, moving to 30-0 while Glanton falls to 21-4. The undercard saw Ricardo Salas stop Jesus Saracho in eight rounds; Pablo Rubio Jr. UD Adan Palma (Rubio improves to 15-0, Palma to 14-1); Vlad Panin stop Shinard Bunch in the ninth; Joshua Juarez UD Jardae Anderson; a six-round draw between Jaycob Ramos and Ethan Perez; a six-round draw between Brady Ochoa and Adrian Serrano; and Emiliano Alvarado remain undefeated with a UD over Erick Rosado (59-54 on all cards).
A planned cruiserweight title bout between Jai Opetaia and Brandon Glanton for Zuffa Boxing faced a sanctioning setback after the IBF backed away from sanctioning the fight and warned it could strip Opetaia of the IBF cruiserweight title if he competes for Zuffa’s belt, turning the bout into an unsanctioned affair while Opetaia still holds The Ring title. The event goes on at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas with Paramount+ streaming in the US; main card starts at 9 p.m. ET (prelims 6 p.m. ET), and the card features several undercard bouts plus expert predictions that Opetaia remains the favorite.
The IBF withdrew sanction for Jai Opetaia vs. Brandon Glanton, making Sunday’s bout an unsanctioned contest even though the Ring Magazine title and the new Zuffa cruiserweight belt remain involved; the IBF title could be vacated if the fight proceeds without sanctioning, opening a path to a vacant title for contenders like Billam-Smith or Masson, while Opetaia’s goal of undisputed status continues to hinge on future unifications and defenses.
Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez retained his WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles with a unanimous decision victory over Yuniel Dorticos, calling out Jai Opetaia for a unification fight, while also being part of the undercard for Jake Paul vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.