(February 10th) The buzz around Zuffa Boxing 04 is hitting a fever pitch, primarily because it marks the high-profile debut of the promotion's biggest signing to date, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia’s, IBF Cruiserweight Champion, Jai Opetaia.

Opetaia will face “Atlanta, Georgia native, Brandon “Bulletproof” Glanton in the main event of Zuffa Boxing 04 on March 8th, live on Paramount+ from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The bout will crown Zuffa Boxing's First World Champion, with the promotion's cruiserweight title on the line.

The event marks the high-profile debut of Opetaia, the biggest signing in Zuffa Boxing's brief history. The Australian southpaw signed with the promotion in January 2026 as part of a co-promotional deal with Tasman Fighters, seeking a platform to pursue undisputed status at cruiserweight or a potential move to heavyweight.

Before turning professional in 2015, Opetaia represented Australia at the 2012 London Olympics, becoming the nation's youngest-ever Olympic boxer at age 17. He also captured gold at the 2011 AIBA Junior World Championships and bronze at the 2012 AIBA Youth World Championships.

The 6’2”, 33-year-old, Opetaia, 29-0, 23Ko’s, a southpaw captured the IBF cruiserweight title in 2022 with a decision victory over Mairis Briedis despite breaking his jaw in two places during the grueling contest. After a TKO of Jordan Thompson, ordered by the IBF to proceed directly into a mandatory rematch with Briedis (rematch delayed due to Briedis’ injury) Opetaia chose to stay active rather than sit idle losing his title on the scale in his interim bout against Ellis Zorro in December 2023 failing to make the IBF cruiserweight limit. The still unbeaten cruiser Opetaia would reclaim the belt by defeating Briedis on points in their rematch.

The undefeated champion has since recorded four consecutive knockout victories in title defenses throughout 2025, including stoppages of David Nyika, Claudio Squeo, and Huseyin Cinkara. His knockout of Cinkara earned recognition as a runner-up in the 2025 CBS Sports Knockout of the Year. An April 2025 victory over Chris Billam-Smith stands as the most notable defense in that stretch.

Despite his goal of unifying the four major world championships, Opetaia has been unable to secure unification bouts, leading to criticism about the level of his recent opposition. He was originally expected to face WBC champion Noel Mikaelian before finalizing the Glanton matchup under the Zuffa banner.

The 6’, 33-year-old, Glanton, 21-3, 1 Ko’s beginning his career as a heavyweight 2017, brings dangerous power but enters as the underdog with a 4-3 record in his last seven fights. The Atlanta native has suffered three decision losses—a split decision to David Light in December 2022, a majority decision to Soslan Asbarov in March 2023 (Asbarov later received a six-year suspension for a failed drug test), and a unanimous decision to Billam-Smith in April 2025.

Despite those setbacks, "Bulletproof" has shown he can be competitive against top opposition. His 85% knockout rate includes recent victories over 2012 Olympian, Marcus Browne (TKO, October 2025) and Aleksei Egorov (KO, June 2024), along with wins for the vacant WBO International and WBO Global cruiserweight titles.

The 12-round cruiserweight bout at 200 pounds will stream on Paramount+ as part of Zuffa Boxing's strategy to run boxing events similar to UFC programming—utilizing the intimate APEX venue for cost-controlled, high-frequency streaming content.

Date: Sunday, March 8, 2026

Event Name: Zuffa Boxing 04

Location: UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada

Promoter: Zuffa Boxing - Dana White, Tasman Fighters

Media: Paramount+

The full card and ticket information are expected to be announced soon.

Zuffa Boxing is a new professional boxing promotion created in 2025 by TKO Group Holdings—the parent company of UFC and WWE—in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and the events company Sela, led by UFC CEO Dana White and Turki Alalshikh. The company is headquartered in Las Vegas and aspires to revolutionize the boxing landscape by applying a centralized, promoter-driven model similar to the UFC’s approach, including single belts and unified matchmaking for major titles. White first floated the Zuffa Boxing idea following the 2017 Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather crossover event, citing the need to modernize and streamline boxing promotions, but it wasn’t until June 2025 that the brand was officially launched through high-profile partnerships and funding from Saudi Arabia.

The inaugural Zuffa Boxing event is the blockbuster Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford superfight, set for September 13, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and streaming globally on Netflix—marking a first for a major boxing match of this scale. The promotion is expected to stage 12 events annually for five years, totaling 60 shows, with four of these billed as “megafights” similar to the Canelo-Crawford clash. Media rights negotiations are ongoing, with Paramount Plus as the leading contender for a broadcast deal in the U.S., while select events may continue behind pay-per-view, but the majority could stream widely and even air on CBS. Zuffa Boxing has already organized a prospect-filled card before its first main event, showcasing its commitment to developing new talent alongside marquee matchups.

Through its social media presence and engagement, Zuffa Boxing has signaled a fully modern approach to promotion, with global streaming, high-profile partnerships, and a strong connection to UFC infrastructure and talent. This new venture represents one of the most ambitious attempts yet to reshape professional boxing, bringing together some of combat sports’ biggest players and promising regular major events, innovative matchmaking, and a unified promotional vision.