The International Boxing Federation (IBF) has stripped Australian Jay Opetaja (30-0, 23 KOs) of his heavyweight belt by a decision of the Board of Directors. This came after Opetaja held an unsanctioned fight against Brandon Glenton on Sunday, March 8.
Jay Opetaia's scheduled fight with Brandon Glenton was announced as part of the Australian's debut with Zuffa Boxing, with which he signed earlier this year. The fight was for the title of the first-ever Zuffa heavyweight champion.
However, the IBF refused to sanction Opeta's fight as part of the Zuffa boxing evening in accordance with the rule that allows fights for belt unification only with the leading boxing organizations WBA, WBO and WBC.
In the end, Opetaja fought an “unsanctioned” fight with Glenton: he won by unanimous decision. After that, the IBF called a meeting of the Board of Directors, where they voted to strip him of his title. This decision was made in accordance with IBF Rule 5.H, which states: “An unsanctioned bout is a bout that has not been officially sanctioned by the IBF or whose sanction has been officially withdrawn. If the champion participates in an unsanctioned bout within his weight class, the title shall be declared vacant, regardless of whether the champion wins or loses the bout.” Jay Opetayu to be crowned world cruiserweight champion and make the belt vacant.
“The IBF wishes Jay Opetaja continued success in his career. He has risen through the IBF rankings to become world champion, one of the highest achievements in a fighter's career. The IBF rules do not always produce the desired or popular result, but they provide structure and transparency, serving not only the champion, but also those who are waiting for the opportunity to fight for the title,” the IBF quoted Boxing Scene as saying.
Opetay had previously been stripped of his IBF belt: in December 2023, he held an unsanctioned fight in Riyadh against unrated contender Ellis Zorro, who was not in the top 15 of the IBF rating. At the same time, Jay was then supposed to make a mandatory defense against Mairis Briedis.
The issue was quickly resolved within a year. Shortly after Opetai's first-round knockout victory over Zorro, the boxer agreed to fight Briedis. In May 2024, Jay won, regaining his old belt, which he later successfully defended five times.