Opetaia stripped of IBF title over Zuffa belt bout

Jai Opetaia holds his IBF, Ring belts with the Zuffa Boxing belt around his waist

Image source, Zuffa BoxingImage caption,

Jai Opetaia repeatedly said in fight week and in his post-fight comments he wants to be IBF champion and win the other three major world titles - the WBC, WBO and WBA.

Published54 minutes ago

Jai Opetaia has been stripped of his IBF cruiserweight world title after his bout with Brandon Glanton on 8 March.

The Australian, 30, proceeded with the bout despite the IBF withdrawing its sanctioning in fight week, and became the first fighter to claim a Zuffa Boxing belt by beating Glanton.

The IBF say the bout violated "Rule 5 E.2" which outlines the sanctioning body's rules around unification fights, which is restricted to the WBC, WBA and WBO – the three other major world titles.

Opetaia's team told the IBF that the Glanton bout was not a unification bout and the Zuffa title would be a "trophy or token of recognition".

But the IBF disagreed with this assertion after Zuffa Boxing referred repeatedly to the belt as a "world cruiserweight championship" in fight week, leading the IBF to withdraw their sanctioning.

The decision was made on 10 March at a board of directors meeting, and it is the second time Opetaia has seen the IBF strip him of his belt.

Opetaia was stripped after he proceeded with an unsanctioned bout in Saudi Arabia in November 2023, with the-then opponent not in the IBF's top 15 rankings.

Glanton is number 15 in their current rankings.

"The IBF wishes Jai Opetaia continued success in his career," the IBF said in a statement.

"As noted in an earlier press release regarding this situation, the IBF's rules don't always yield the preferred or popular outcome, but they provide structure and transparency, serving not just the champion but also those waiting for the opportunity to fight for the title."

The move is the latest episode in a growing power struggle in boxing as the Dana White-led Zuffa Boxing begins to operate.

Backed by Saudi money, the UFC president launched Zuffa Boxing in January and says he intends to phase out the four major sanctioning bodies and only recognise Zuffa world champions and the Ring Magazine lineal champions.

White and his allies have sought to amend the Muhammad Ali Reform Act in the US to allow them to operate a UFC-style business model in boxing, which will include being allowed to operate as a promoter and sanctioning body and have their own world champions.