Boxing
Zuffa Boxing 04 Preview: Obedia vs. Glanton
Published
7 months agoon
Sunday, March 8, 2026 | Meta APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada
Live on Paramount+ | Eliminations: 18:00 ET / 15:00 PT | Main card: 21:00 ET / 18:00 PT
Zuffa Boxing hosts its first world title fight on Sunday evening when IBF and Ring Magazine cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia will fight an eight-fight fight against Brandon Glanton. The fight will crown the organization’s inaugural cruiserweight champion, with the Zuffa Boxing and Ring Magazine titles officially at stake. The IBF confirmed that Opetaia still has his belt and Glanton is ranked 15th, which qualifies him to fight, although the promotion has not confirmed whether the IBF title is on the line.
Main Event – Cruiserweight (12 rounds) – Zuffa Boxing and Ring Magazine Cruiserweight Championships
Jai Opetaia (29-0, 23 KO) vs. Brandon Glanton (21-3, 18 KO)
Opetaia is 30 years venerable and comes from Sydney, Australia. He is 6 feet 7 inches statuesque and has a 76-inch reach. He won the IBF cruiserweight title in 2022 by unanimous decision over Mairis Briedis – fighting through a broken jaw in two places – vacated it during a mandatory dispute and regained it by defeating Briedis again in May 2024 in Riyad. He stopped his last four opponents: David Nyika (KO4), Jack Massey (TKO5), Claudio Squeo (TKO5) and Huseyin Cinkar (KO8). The Cinkar’s Knockout was the runner-up for the 2025 CBS Sports Knockout of the Year. Before turning professional in 2015, Opetaia represented Australia at the 2012 London Olympics as the country’s youngest ever Olympic boxer at the age of 17. In January, he signed with Zuffa Boxing in a co-promotional deal with Australian promoter Tasman Fighters.
Glanton, 33, fights in Atlanta and Riverside, California, and stands at 5-foot-10 with a 79-inch reach with an orthodox stance. Glanton, a former football player who turned to boxing at the age of 21, turned professional in 2017 and competed in the 2015 U.S. Olympic trials as a super heavyweight. He won the WBO Global cruiserweight title with a second-round knockout of Mario Aguilar in 2022 and earned a majority decision over Efetobor Apochi. His three defeats came by decision of judges: David Airy, Soslan Asbarov (who later received a six-year ban for failing a drug test) and WBO champion Chris Billam-Smith in April 2025. He was never stopped and suffered a sixth-round TKO defeat of former WBA airy heavyweight champion Marcus Browne last October. The ring ranks Glanton in 10th place in the cruiserweight division.
Main Card
Vlad Panin (23-2, 15 KO) vs. Shinard Bunch (22-3-1, 18 KO) – welterweight (10 rounds)
Panin (29) is a Belarusian-born Los Angeles-based fighter known as “Super Bad” who built his early career with Top Rank. He is a UCLA graduate, stands 6-foot-4 with a 75-inch reach, and fights with an orthodox stance. Bunch, 28, of Queens, Recent York, has 18 knockout stoppages and has shown a willingness to commit throughout his career. Both fighters operated at the level of fringe contenders at 147 pounds, failing to secure a victory.
Ricardo Salas (22-2-2, 16 KO) vs. Jesus Saracho (16-2-2, 12 KO) – welterweight (10 rounds)
All-Mexican welterweight fight. Salas, 27, of Mexico, holds the IBF welterweight title in North America and is ranked No. 11 by the WBO and No. 4 by the IBF at 147 pounds. His streak is six wins in a row. Saracho, 24, has a 75% knockout rate. Both fighters are on a break from fighting – Salas has not fought since August 2025.
Adan Palma (14-0, 9 KO) vs. Pablo Rubio Jr. (14-0, 5 KO) – Featherweight (8 rounds)
Undefeated vs. undefeated featherweight fight. Palma, 24, of San Diego has a 64% knockout rate and fought on the Golden Boy card. Rubio, 29, of Los Angeles, is 14-0 on a volume-based approach with a 36% stoppage rate. Someone’s zero is 126 pounds.
Subtab
Joshua Juarez (14-0, 9 KO) vs. Jardae Anderson (11-1, 9 KO) – heavyweight (8 rounds)
Juarez, of Laredo, Texas, sets an undefeated heavyweight record against Anderson, of Davenport, Iowa. Both fighters have a comparable number of knockouts at the heavyweight level.
Emiliano Alvarado (10-0, 6 KO) vs. Erick Rosado (16-4, 11 KO) – featherweight (6 rounds)
Alvarado, who is just 18 years venerable, returns after appearing on the Zuffa Boxing 03 card three weeks ago. The Coachella, California native is now 10-0 and making his second straight appearance on the national broadcast. Rosado, from the Dominican Republic, brings 16 wins and 11 knockouts as the most experienced opponent Alvarado has faced.
Brady Ochoa (9-0, 2 KO) vs. Adrian Serrano (6-0-1, 3 KO) – lightweight (6 rounds)
Two undefeated lightweight fighters meet over six rounds. Ochoa, from Gilbert, Arizona, is 9-0. Serrano, from Salinas, California, is 6-0-1 with three shutouts.
Jaycob Ramos (4-1, 1 KO) vs. Ethan Perez (8-0, 3 KO) – featherweight (6 rounds)
Ramos, of Dallas, makes his second Zuffa Boxing appearance against Perez, an undefeated featherweight from San Antonio with eight career wins.
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Boxing
Joshua vs Fury Confirmed for December 11 in Cardiff on Netflix
Published
2 hours agoon
September 24, 2026
Principality Stadium secures the British heavyweight fight, with a London press conference next week and the undercard to follow.
Anthony Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) and Tyson Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) will fight at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Friday, December 11. Netflix will broadcast the full event exclusively after organizers secured a British venue for the heavyweights’ first professional meeting.
Turki Alalshikh announced the fight, and Joshua and Fury are scheduled to attend a London press conference next week. The supporting card will be announced later; no undercard opponents were named in the supplied announcement.
The December date replaces the November plan discussed earlier in negotiations. Wembley had been Joshua’s preferred destination, but Cardiff secured the event following talks over whether the fight would remain in Britain or move to the United States.
Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn insisted on a UK venue. His contract included that requirement, and their position held despite discussions involving New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Dana White said: “For more than a decade, boxing fans have been clamoring for the heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Together, they bring 66 wins, 52 knockouts and multiple heavyweight world titles into the ring. On December 11, two of the biggest heavyweights of this generation finally collide and the winner will take a significant place in heavyweight history.”
Netflix to broadcast the full Cardiff card
Netflix’s preference for an evening American broadcast drove the push to stage the fight across the Atlantic. Madison Square Garden emerged as the leading US option before negotiations returned to Britain.
Cardiff keeps the contest on British soil, with a late opening bell expected to accommodate viewers in the United States.
The main event is expected around 1 a.m. UK timealthough the exact time has not been confirmed. If that schedule holds. A 1 a.m. GMT start would put the main event at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, December 11 for viewers on America’s east coast.
The fight is expected to take place beneath Principality Stadium’s retractable roof.
London press conference scheduled for next week
Alalshikh welcomed the agreement after months of negotiations over the event.
“Two of the best heavyweights of this generation, finally in the ring together. This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing history, I am very happy to make this fight happen for the fans,” he said.
Joshua and Fury previously signed a two-fight agreement in 2021. That booking collapsed after an arbitration ruling required Fury to face Deontay Wilder again.
Their December meeting now has a confirmed date, venue and broadcaster. Next week’s press conference will bring both fighters to London, with the remaining card and precise event timetable still to follow.

About the author
Boxing 24/7 Wire
Boxing247.com is an independent boxing news publication covering the sport since 2001. It provides original reporting, fight analysis, schedules, results, and informed coverage of major fighters and events worldwide, backed by more than 25 years of professional boxing journalism.
Boxing
Manny Pacquiao and Shakur Stevenson Discuss Potential Fight in Cardiff
Published
7 hours agoon
September 24, 2026
Manny Pacquiao against Shakur Stevenson remains under discussion for the proposed Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury card in Cardiff. It would give the event a second major fight, but neither Pacquiao nor Stevenson has received a bout agreement.
BoxingScene’s Lance Pugmire reports that two people connected to the talks say Netflix wants the matchup as part of a “double main event.” December 11 is the date under consideration at Principality Stadium, with December 18 also possible. Pacquiao adviser Jas Mathur told BoxingScene that Pacquiao’s financial terms are still being negotiated.
That leaves a great deal to settle before anyone can call this a fight. The Cardiff show itself has yet to be formally announced, and moving Joshua-Fury from the previously discussed Madison Square Garden setting means assembling the rest of the card around a different venue and date.
Pacquiao-Stevenson would bring two very different attractions to that card. Stevenson, 29, is coming off his January win over Teofimo Lopez and has since signed with Zuffa Boxing. Pacquiao, 47, drew with Mario Barrios in his July 2025 return. His name would draw attention far beyond the usual boxing audience, though the long layoff and age difference would become part of the conversation as soon as the fight was announced.
The proposed pairing also raises a practical question: what weight would they fight at? Pacquiao’s return came at welterweight, while Stevenson’s recent work has been at lighter weights. No weight, number of rounds, or title terms have been announced.
For now, the news is that Pacquiao-Stevenson has survived the reported switch to Cardiff and remains in Netflix’s plans, according to BoxingScene. The decisive development would be agreements reaching both fighters. Until then, it belongs on the list of fights being negotiated, rather than the Joshua-Fury undercard.
Pacquiao turns 48 on December 17. If the fight lands on December 18, Shakur would face him one day after his birthday. Pacquiao won his first world title in 1998, before Shakur turned two.
That age difference makes the matchup a hard sell as a competitive fight. If Shakur wins easily, how much credit does he get for beating a man nearly two decades older? If he boxes his way to a quiet decision, Pacquiao’s name may bring viewers to Netflix, but the fight may give them little reason to watch Shakur again.
Pacquiao’s fame can make this a major event. Turning it into a fight that helps Shakur is another matter. First, both men need to agree to terms; neither has received a bout agreement.
About the author
Boxing News 24 Desk
BoxingNews24.com has delivered independent boxing coverage since 2007, including original news, fight analysis, schedules, and results. Our experienced boxing writers cover major fighters and events worldwide, with published content reviewed by editors for accuracy.
Boxing
Teofimo Lopez Set to Defend World Title on Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua Undercard – Boxing News
Published
12 hours agoon
September 23, 2026
Teofimo Lopez has been offered a slot on the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua card, which is set to take place at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 11.
‘The Takeover’ comes off a majority decision victory over Rolando Romero, who he dethroned last month after surviving a genuine scare in round five.
In reality, though, it was a far more convincing win than the scorecards suggested and, despite suffering a one-sided defeat to Shakur Stevenson in January, Lopez proved that he remains a highly-skilled operator at world level.
But while he has expressed an interest in unification matches at 147lbs, particularly one against WBC champion Ryan Garcia, the 29-year-old must first make a mandatory defence and retain his WBA title.
He has, in other words, been ordered to face Jack Catterallwho claimed his WBA ‘Regular’ title by producing arguably a career-best performance to unanimously outpoint Shakhram Giyasov in May.
Lopez, meanwhile, had attempted to swerve his mandatory duty and, according to boxing journalist Dan Rafaelis considering vacating his welterweight belt in pursuit of more lucrative opportunities.
If he is to proceed with the Catterall fight, however, then the three-division world champion could end up featuring on the expected Fury-Joshua card later this year.
Equally, Catterall has taken to social media and acknowledged that, as the champion, Lopez can choose to defend his title on home soil.
“Hey mate [Lopez]you fancy scrapping on the [Fury-Joshua] card? If not don’t worry, I’ll come to America and get my belt. Either way I’ll see you soon champ.”
Hey mate @TeofimoLopez you fancy scrapping on the fury aj card ? If not don’t worry I’ll come to America and get my belt. Either way I’ll see you soon champ 🤝 https://t.co/l6tDpimzE9
— Jack Catterall (@jack_catt93) September 22, 2026
According to WBA president Gilberto Mendoza, both parties have until October 22 to reach an agreement or risk a purse bid hearing being called.
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