When Jai Opetaia inked a deal with Zuffa Boxing earlier this year, the hard-hitting Australian Cruiserweight champion had dreams of one day holding all four division titles.
Now, that goal has been dashed after International Boxing Federation (IBF) has decided to sanction Opetaia for his historic Zuffa Boxing championship fight against Brandon Glanton this weekend (Sun., March 8, 2026) in Las Vegas, Nevada, which will be for the company’s inaugural strap (see it here).
That means that once the fight
is over, Opetaia — who is also The Ring Cruiserweight champion — will be stripped of the belt since IBF will not recognize Zuffa as a sanctioning body.
“The International Boxing Federation (IBF) has withdrawn sanction of the optional defense of the IBF Cruiserweight title between champion Jai Opetaia and #15 ranked contender Brandon Glanton scheduled for March 8, 2026,” said an IBF spokesperson (via Boxing Scene). “With sanction withdrawn, the Opetaia vs. Glanton bout is now an Unsanctioned Contest.
“IBF Rule 5.H. states in part – ‘An Unsanctioned Contest is a fight which the IBF has not formally approved for sanction or where sanction has been formally withdrawn,’” it continued. “If a Champion participates in an unsanctioned contest within his prescribed weight limit, the title will be declared vacant whether the Champion wins or loses the bout’.”
Just hours prior to the ruling, Opetaia (29-0) fielded questions from the media and denied any rumors that IBF’s title wouldn’t be on the line.
“Yes, it will be [on the line] — don’t listen to rumors,” he said at Zuffa Boxing 4’s press conference. “Don’t believe everything you see on the Internet because everyone is spreading rumors. I am very grateful that the boys have been on board.
“It is my dream to become undisputed, and unless everyone doesn’t work together toward that dream, I can not accomplish that,” he concluded.
It’s a big blow for not only Opetaia, but Zuffa Boxing, too, ahead of the promotion’s first-ever historic title fight. Dana White is adamant in his stance that he won’t work with other sanctioning bodies, which includes the IBF, WBC, WBO and WBA, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that IBF decided to act.
White and Co. have come under criticism for various reasons from other big shots in boxing, including Oscar de La Hoya, Mauricio Sulaiman and Eddie Hearn for various reasons, including the “cringe” Zuffa title, lackluster events and the opposition to other sanctioning bodies.
One can’t help but wonder if IBF’s ruling will affect other boxer’s decisions to defect over to Zuffa Boxing (see full list of recent signings here), if their goals are to become undisputed in their divisions. Then again, if one-fight paydays such as Conor Benn’s reported massive $15 million check he will receive later this year become the norm, it could tip the scales in Zuffa’s favor.
