Jai Opetaia relinquishes IBF cruiserweight championship once more.

Jai Opetaia has been stripped of the IBF cruiserweight title for the second time.

The IBF released a statement on Monday confirming that Opetaia has been divested of the championship due to his participation in the March 8 match against Brandon Glanton for the inaugural Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight title. The IBF had retracted their sanction of the bout three days earlier, stating they were misinformed that Zuffa’s championship would merely be an item that was “characterized as a trophy or token of recognition” and not suitable for a unification match.

The contest proceeded, and the IBF had the chance to revoke Opetaia’s title and declare it vacant. The Australian had previously been stripped of the title in 2023 when he faced Ellis Zorro instead of his mandatory challenger, Mairis Briedis.

Opetaia won against Glanton by a significant unanimous decision to secure the Zuffa World Cruiserweight Championship and was optimistic that the IBF would reconsider their stance. However, after refunding Opetaia $73,000 in sanctioning fees, the IBF convened a Board of Directors meeting on March 19 and voted to proceed with stripping Opetaia.

“The IBF wishes Jai Opetaia continued success in his career,” the IBF stated. “He advanced through the IBF rankings to achieve World Champion status, one of the highest honors in a fighter’s career. As mentioned in a previous press release concerning this matter, the IBF’s regulations do not always produce the desired or popular outcome, but they ensure structure and transparency, benefiting not only the champion but also those awaiting the chance to compete for the title.”

The title is now vacant.