Australian cruiserweight Jai Opetaia has lost his IBF world title after proceeding with a bout against Brandon Glanton on March 8. The sanctioning body withdrew its approval during fight week, claiming the match violated rules regarding unification fights restricted to WBC, WBA and WBO titles only.

Opetaia became the first fighter to claim a Zuffa Boxing belt by defeating Glanton, despite the IBF withdrawing sanctioning. The IBF disagreed with Opetaia's team, which claimed the Zuffa title was merely a "trophy or token of recognition," after Zuffa repeatedly referred to it as a "world cruiserweight championship." This marks the second time Opetaia has been stripped by the IBF.

The decision reflects a growing power struggle in boxing as Dana White's Zuffa Boxing, backed by Saudi money, begins operations. White intends to phase out the four major sanctioning bodies and only recognize Zuffa champions and Ring Magazine lineal champions. The IBF emphasized their rules don't always yield popular outcomes but provide structure for all fighters.