The IBF has stripped Jai Opetaia of his cruiserweight title after withdrawing the sanction from his scheduled fight with Brandon Glanton.
The sanctioning body confirmed the decision after the fight was announced as the main event of a Zuffa Boxing card. The ruling was first reported by veteran boxing journalist Dan Rafael. Although the promotion initially said the IBF belt would be on the line, the organization later said the fight would go ahead without its approval.
According to IBF rules, a champion who participates in a bout not sanctioned by the organization within the same weight division automatically forfeits the title.
“With the sanction lifted, the Opetaia vs. Glanton bout is now an unsanctioned contest,” the IBF said in a statement. “IBF Rule 5.H. states in part: “An unsanctioned contest is a bout which the IBF has not formally approved for sanction or where sanction has been formally withdrawn. If a Champion participates in an unsanctioned contest within his prescribed weight limit, the title will be declared vacant, regardless of whether the champion wins or loses the bout.”
The decision leaves the IBF Cruiserweight Championship vacant before the fight. Neither Opetaia nor Glanton will be able to win the belt when they meet in the ring.
Opetaia first won the IBF title by defeating Mairis Briedis in 2022. He later regained the belt after a brief period outside the organization and remained one of the division’s most recognizable champions.
Glanton enters the fight as a first time challenger looking for the biggest win of his career. The American contender climbed the cruiserweight ranks and was originally scheduled to challenge for the title before the sanction was lifted.
The fight will still go ahead under the Zuffa Boxing banner, but the IBF belt will no longer be on the line. The bout will proceed as a non-title cruiserweight contest between the two fighters.
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Last updated on 2026/03/06 at 23:04
