Boxing: Jay Obitaya stripped of IBF title due to Zuffa belt bout

Jay Obitaya was stripped of his IBF cruiserweight title following his bout with Brandon Glanton on March 8.

The 30-year-old Australian continued the fight despite the IBF withdrawing his fight week ban, and became the first fighter to capture the Zuffa Boxing Belt with his victory over Glanton.

The AIBA says the bout violated “Rule 5E.2” which sets out the sanctioning body’s rules around unification fights, which are limited to the WBC, WBA and WBO – the other three major world titles.

Opetaia’s team told FIFA that the Glanton match was not a unification match and that Zova’s title would be a “trophy or symbol of recognition”.

But the International Boxing Federation disagreed with that assertion after Zuffa Boxing repeatedly referred to the belt as the “world cruiserweight championship” in Fight Week, prompting the AIBA to withdraw its sanctions.

The decision was made on March 10 during a board meeting, and this is the second time Obitaya has seen FIFA strip him of his belt.

Obitaya was stripped after embarking on an unsanctioned bout in Saudi Arabia in November 2023, with the opponent at the time not ranked within the AIBA’s top 15 rankings.

Glanton is No. 15 in their current rankings.

The International Boxing Federation said in a statement: “The International Boxing Federation wishes Jay Opitaya continued success in his career.”

“As noted in a previous press release regarding this situation, AIBA rules do not always lead to a preferred or popular outcome, but they provide structure and transparency, serving not only the champion, but also those waiting for the opportunity to fight for the title.”

The move is the latest episode in a growing power struggle in boxing as Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing gets into action.

Backed by Saudi money, the UFC president launched Zuffa Boxing in January and said he intended to phase out the four main sanctioning bodies and recognize only Zuffa world champions and Ring magazine champions.

White and his allies sought to amend the Muhammad Ali Reform Act in the United States to allow them to operate a UFC-style business model in boxing, which would include allowing them to operate as a promoting and sanctioning body and have their own world champions.