The last time Brandon Glanton fought an undefeated opponent, the cruiserweight contender defeated Efetobor Apochi in what was one of the most memorable action fights of 2021.
Seventeen months later, the unbeaten Glanton envisions another victory over David Light on Friday night moving him toward a shot at WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie. The hard-hitting Glanton isn’t preoccupied with opposing Okolie, though, because the 30-year-old knockout artist has been informed by the champion himself that England’s Okolie seeks more profitable fights in the United Kingdom before he would defend his WBO belt against Glanton.
“Everybody wants to talk about Okolie, but they’re not talking about the obstacle in front of me,” Glanton told BoxingScene.com. “David Light is not coming over here to lay down, you know? We’ve all heard there’s a chance the Okolie fight could happen, but you know how it is in boxing. They tell you all this stuff. … My thing is I’m gonna become so violent, I’m gonna become such an a**hole in this division, they won’t have a choice but to fight me.”
New Zealand’s Light (19-0, 12 KOs) is the WBO’s sixth-ranked contender for Okolie’s title. Glanton (17-0, 14 KOs) is ranked seventh by the WBO entering a 10-round elimination match that’ll be streamed as the main event of a four-fight card by ProBox TV from White Sands Events Center in Plant City, Florida (PROBOXTV.com; 9 p.m. ET; $1.99 per month).
“I know he’s a long, rangy guy,” Glanton said. “You know, he’s got a good one-two. He looks to box, but he will fight if he’s made to do it. I feel like he’s a pretty hard-nosed guy. He’s definitely gonna put his best foot forward. People seem to do that when they fight me, fight the best fight of their life, so I expect no less from him. He didn’t come over here to play games. He came to fight, so I’m gonna give him a fight for sure.”
Light, 31, hasn’t fought someone as dangerous as Atlanta’s Glanton since he turned pro five years ago. Glanton wants to prove he is better than he displayed during his unforgettable battle with Nigeria’s Apochi, a fight FOX televised from The Armory in Minneapolis in June 2021.
An aggressive Glanton scored a knockdown against Apochi (then 11-0) in the sixth round and narrowly won their 10-round bout by split decision. A back injury limited him, particularly defensively, according to Glanton, and he expects to resemble a more complete fighter against Light.
“I was only about 60 percent for that fight, so unfortunately the fans didn’t get the chance to see me at my best,” said Glanton, who trains in Fort Mitchell, Alabama. “They did see an action-packed fight. They did enjoy it. But I know me, my team knows me and I know I’m capable of much better.”
London’s Okolie (18-0, 14 KOs) hasn’t fought in nine months, but Glanton isn’t convinced Okolie will fight him if he beats Light.
“Okolie told me straight up he wasn’t fighting me until he made more money,” Glanton said. “He told me straight up I wouldn’t fight him in 2022. So, this opportunity came along and I’m not gonna take this guy lightly. Obviously, I’m gonna keep winning and I’m gonna keep being destructive.
“If it comes, it comes. But until then, I’m keeping my sights on David Light and whoever they put in front of me my next fight, I’ll focus on that person. Whatever target is in front of me I’ll focus on, obviously with the end game being a world title after this.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.