ESPN reporter Salvador Rodriguez said the IBF asked Opetaia to decide after reviewing the promotion’s plan to introduce its own championship during the card.
The situation places Opetaia between the traditional sanctioning body structure that governs recognized world titles and a promotion seeking to introduce its own belt as part of its launch.
Sanctioning bodies sometimes approve fights involving titles from multiple organizations, although the IBF has made clear that its championship will not appear on a fight that also brings in a promoter-created belt.
Opetaia has already experienced one stoppage involving the IBF title. His first reign ended in 2023 when he chose a fight with Ellis Zorro rather than face mandatory challenger Mairis Briedis. Opetaia stopped Zorro in the opening round before later facing Briedis in a rematch and reclaiming the IBF Championship by unanimous decision in May 2024.
He also holds the Ring Cruiserweight Championship, which operates independently and is not controlled by the sanctioning body.
Sunday’s battle will still move forward once the selection is made. The event is Opetaia’s first match in the United States since joining the Zuffa promotion, positioning the contest as an early step in his effort to establish a new title structure.
Opetaia must now decide which belt he will wear in the ring on Sunday, a choice that shows how far apart boxing’s sanctioning bodies and the new Zuffa promotion remain on the issue of titles.
The Opetaia-Glanton fight will take place this Sunday at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas as the main event of Zuffa Boxing 04. Opetaia enters the fight undefeated through 29 professional contests, yielding 23 knockouts during that run. Glanton comes from Atlanta with 21 wins against three losses and has finished 18 opponents within the distance.
