Jai Opetaia Loses IBF Title Due to Fight for Zuffa Boxing Light Heavyweight Title

The Australian chose a bout with Brandon Glanton in Las Vegas instead of making a mandatory defense of his belt.

On March 8 in Las Vegas, Jai Opetaia will face Brandon Glanton in a fight for the first-ever Zuffa light heavyweight title.

However, regardless of the outcome of the match, the Australian will be stripped of his world title by the International Boxing Federation (IBF). The governing body issued an ultimatum to the champion — either make a mandatory defense of his belt or compete for the title of the new organization.

Opetaia was not allowed to combine the two appearances, despite hoping until the last moment that he would receive permission.

The 33-year-old American Brandon Glanton has a professional record of 21 wins and 3 losses. During his career he has defeated names such as Marcus Browne and Aleksei Egorov, while his defeats came in competitive fights against David Light and Soslan Asbarov.

For his part, Opetaia remains undefeated in the professional ring. The Australian has won all 29 of his fights and will attempt to add another title to his collection.