An attorney representing Jai Opetaia says the boxer has “good reason to believe” the IBF’s decision to withdraw sanctioning of his title fight with Brandon Glanton was a “product of coordinated, industry-wide collusion designed to punish him for working with Zuffa Boxing and to deter other athletes from doing the same,” per a letter sent to a sanctioning body president that was obtained by The Ring.

“Aided and abetted by other sanctioning bodies and promoters, the IBF's action intentionally inflicted (or threatened to inflict) significant financial and reputational harm on Mr. Opetaia. He is aware of messages between high-level executives essentially admitting to the scheme.”

The letter was sent Tuesday, two days after Opetaia scored a unanimous decision victory over Glanton at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas in the fourth Zuffa Boxing headliner.

Zuffa Boxing is the upstart boxing promotion led by Dana White and Nick Khan, a joint venture between TKO and Sela. At Sunday’s post-fight news conference, moments after White belted Opetaia as the first-ever Zuffa champion, the UFC president said: “It’s pretty clear what they’re doing and what’s going on. I see lawsuits coming, that’s what I see.”

Opetaia, who made the eighth successful defense of his Ring Magazine cruiserweight championship, has been steadfast that it's his dream to unify all four sanctioning body titles in addition to his other accolades at 200 pounds.

The IBF officially sanctioned the matchup as a title fight Thursday, only to reverse course one day later. IBF president Daryl Peoples, in a letter obtained by The Ring explaining the decision, said Friday that “the IBF was presented as secondary” at the final press conference to promote the fight.

“This is the embarrassment I was trying to avoid,” Peoples wrote.

In Tuesday’s legal letter, it was stated “the IBF and its co-conspirators face substantial civil (and criminal) liability to Mr. Opetaia.

"You are receiving this preservation notice because Mr. Opetaia believes you possess documents, communications, and information related to his potential claims against the IBF, Mr. Peoples, WBC, WBA, WBO, Matchroom Boxing, other entities, and individuals."

Essentially, the letter serves as potential prelude to a lawsuit instructing to preserve materials relevant to discovery.

Opetaia’s attorney, Las Vegas-based Jordan Smith, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Even after the IBF abruptly withdrew sanctioning, Opetaia complied with the rules. He still proceeded with the IBF’s same-day weigh-in at 210.7 pounds, well within the 214 limit. Opetaia still wore his belt in the ring and showed it off at his post-fight presser.

“I honestly don’t know what’s going on,” Opetaia said moments after the fight. “I just try to keep doing my thing. I’ve respected the belt, done everything in my power to keep the belt. I had the double weigh-in, abided by their rules. I’m really hoping they can put the nonsense aside.

"The beef is not between me. It’s the outside causing conflict and I’m the only one who’s suffering, but at the same time, it is what it is. What can I do? Train hard and work for the next one.”

“Earlier Tuesday, the IBF released a statement denying that it “intentionally withdrew sanction to cause harm. The IBF granted sanction of the Opetaia vs. Glanton bout in good faith expecting that what was assured is what would transpire. The status of the IBF cruiserweight title remains in deliberation.

“Jai Opetaia made comments during the post-fight press conference that have led the organization’s leadership to question whether he was made completely and fully aware by his advisors of the decisions he needed to make when committing to the bout against Brandon Glanton.”

That’s a reference to a decision to fight for either the IBF or Zuffa title, but not both. The IBF also said it refunded Opetaia’s $73,000 sanctioning fee.

Opetaia (30-0, 27 KOs) first won the IBF and Ring Magazine titles in a July 2022 decision victory over Mairis Briedis in Opetaia's native Australia. Opetaia fought through a broken jaw suffered in Round 2. Opetaia made one defense of his IBF title before he was stripped for choosing a voluntary defense in Saudi Arabia rather than an IBF-ordered rematch vs. Briedis.

Opetaia scored the first-round KO over Ellis Zorro in Riyadh and then regained the vacant IBF title in his next fight, another grueling win over Briedis. Opetaia made four more subsequent defenses of the IBF belt.