IBF Strips Opetaia Before Zuffa Fight
The IBF officially announced it will strip Jai Opetaia of his cruiserweight title before his Zuffa Boxing fight with Brandon Glanton, removing their sanction from the bout. This development throws the cruiserweight division's title picture into disarray just as Zuffa Boxing was gaining momentum.
This isn't the first time Jai Opetaia has been stripped of his IBF title without losing a fight. In December 2023, he vacated the belt to fight Ellis Zorro in a lucrative bout in Saudi Arabia, rather than face his then-mandatory challenger, Mairis Briedis. Opetaia would later regain the vacant IBF title by defeating Briedis in a rematch in May 2024. The IBF's decision hinges on its own rulebook, specifically Rule 5.H, which states a champion's title will be declared vacant if they participate in an "unsanctioned contest" within their weight limit. The IBF does not recognize Zuffa Boxing as a legitimate sanctioning body, viewing its title as something other than the four major world titles (WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF). Initially, the IBF had sanctioned the Opetaia-Glanton bout as an optional title defense. This was reportedly based on assurances from Opetaia's team that the Zuffa belt would be treated merely as a "trophy or token of recognition." However, the IBF withdrew its sanction after a press conference where the Zuffa belt was promoted as a world championship up for grabs. The move to Zuffa Boxing carries significant financial incentives. Under Zuffa's reported pay structure, a challenger for one of its titles earns $375,000, while a defending champion makes $750,000. For comparison, Opetaia reportedly earned a $680,000 purse for his first-round knockout of Ellis Zorro. While Opetaia loses the IBF strap, he remains The Ring magazine's cruiserweight champion. The stripping leaves the cruiserweight division with a fractured title scene. The other current champions are Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez, who holds both the WBA and WBO titles, and Noel Mikaelian, the WBC champion.
