Jai Opetaia had one goal in mind when he became Zuffa Boxing’s first marquee signing earlier this yr.
Opetaia is targeting undisputed status at cruiserweight by finally getting the unification fights which have eluded him up to now.
There was some confusion as as to if he’d keep his IBF belt after the governing body withdrew from sanctioning his fight earlier this month.
It’s now been reported that while Opetaia became the primary man to win a Zuffa Boxing title, it has come at the associated fee of one in every of his other belts.
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Jai Opetaia stripped of IBF belt after board of directors vote
A spokesperson for the IBF had said that Jai Opetaia would need to select whether he desired to defend their belt or fight for the Zuffa Boxing one on March 8.
Opetaia said after his win that he hadn’t been stripped, though the sanctioning body did take issue with the way in which their belt was presented on the event.
Jake Donovan on X reported first that he was able to verify that the IBF has now made the choice to take the title from the cruiserweight champion.
“Stay of execution was granted through March 19, after which point Board of Directors voted to declare the title vacant,” he wrote.
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The IBF had already made it clear that their decision to not sanction the fight would result in Opetaia losing his belt when he stepped contained in the ring earlier this month.
Despite this, he was still handed the title, along together with his Zuffa Boxing and The Ring belts, after beating Brandon Glanton via unanimous decision in Las Vegas.
It stays to be seen whether other sanctioning bodies will even take this type of motion relating to fighters that sign with Dana White’s promotion, which could impact their negotiations with big signings.