The American has had his last three fights against quite serious opponents, with 2 wins and 1 loss in this series. First, in Russia, he won early in the eleventh round against Aleksei Egorov by knockout, then lost by points to Chris Billam-Smith, and then in October, he faced Marcus Browne and again secured an early victory, compelling his opponent to cease continuing after the 6th round.
Recall that Opetaia recently signed a contract with Zuffa Boxing, a project sponsored by Dana White. According to White's own statements, he intends to enter a "war" with major promotions, seeking to create something akin to the UFC, but in boxing. This might somewhat limit his room for maneuver, hence the choice of such a serious opponent as Glanton.