The sanctioning body has officially declared that it will strip Opetaia, who also holds The Ring’s cruiserweight belt, of his title if he proceeds with his bout against Brandon Glanton at Meta Apex in Las Vegas, the main event of Zuffa Boxing 4.

After weeks of mulling it over, the IBF initially decided to sanction Opetaia-Glanton as an optional title defense.

The IBF’s longstanding issue surrounds the Zuffa Boxing title being contested, as it is not among the four major sanctioning bodies and has been deemed a “championship,” forcing the IBF to take action.

Although Team Opetaia reached out to the IBF, assuring it that the Zuffa title would be characterized as a trophy or token title, Friday’s press conference in Las Vegas proved otherwise when the IBF, Ring and Zuffa championships were showcased.

Opetaia (29-0, 23 KOs) will therefore be stripped of the IBF crown for a second time, according to a statement the IBF released late Friday night. He was first stripped of his championship status after agreeing to box unranked British contender Ellis Zorro, rather than taking an immediate mandatory defense against former champion Mairis Briedis - who he beat for a second time five months later.

Opetaia nonetheless stands to make the eighth defense of his Ring championship reign. Atlanta’s Glanton (21-3, 18 KOs) is The Ring’s No. 10 contender.

The heavily favored champion headed toward this contest believing everyone was on the same page. The 30-year-old Opetaia told The Ring's Keith Idec earlier this week that all three titles would be up for grabs, disputing reports to the contrary suggesting the IBF had given him an ultimatum.

The IBF cited part of its rule that states only recognized WBA, WBC and WBO world champions have “elite contender” designation and would be permitted to fight IBF titleholders in a unification fight, which excludes a new player in Zuffa.

Now, another unwelcome change has hit deep into fight week. An excerpt from the IBF statement read:

“The International Boxing Federation (IBF) has withdrawn sanction of the optional defense of the IBF cruiserweight title between champion Jai Opetaia and #15 ranked contender Brandon Glanton scheduled for March 8,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. The press conference held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, today (March 6) made it clear that the Zuffa World Cruiserweight title would still be contested on March 8. The IBF reserves the right to sanction title bouts alongside other sanctioning bodies that comply with the same mandated regulations followed by the organization.

“With sanction withdrawn, Opetaia-Glanton 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. 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.”