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Opetaia-Glanton to Crown First Zuffa Cruiserweight Champion as IBF Weighs Title Status

If the IBF declines to sanction the bout, its rules would vacate Opetaia’s belt.

Overview

  • Sunday’s Zuffa Boxing 04 main event at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas will award the inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight title, streaming on Paramount+.
  • An IBF spokesperson says the federation is still deliberating whether Opetaia’s IBF title will be at stake against Brandon Glanton.
  • IBF Rule 5.H states that if Opetaia competes in an unsanctioned cruiserweight bout, the IBF championship will be declared vacant regardless of the result.
  • Zuffa Boxing, led by Dana White with backing from Turki Alalshikh and Nick Khan, is creating proprietary titles instead of recognizing the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF.
  • Opetaia, the undefeated Ring Magazine champion, argues a Zuffa belt should count toward future undisputed claims, while Glanton arrives as a top-10 contender with 18 KOs and a recent TKO of Marcus Browne.