Jai Opetaia has launched legal action against the International Boxing Federation after it stripped him of the cruiserweight title in March, alleging the decision was retaliation for his move to Zuffa Boxing. The unbeaten Australian wants the belt restored, damages and a court order preventing the IBF from installing another champion while the case is decided.
Opetaia’s lawsuit was filed on July 14 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. It alleges violations of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, fraud, breach of contract, interference with contractual relations and conspiracy. At the centre of the complaint is the claim that the IBF and figures connected with the other major sanctioning bodies acted together to punish Opetaia financially and damage his standing after he signed with the promotion led by UFC chief executive Dana White under TKO Group Holdings.
Jai Opetaia sues IBF over title stripping, alleges Zuffa Boxing retaliation
The dispute stems from Opetaia’s March 8 win over Brandon Glanton in Las Vegas. Opetaia dominated Glanton over 12 rounds in his first Zuffa Boxing event, with the contest marketed for the inaugural Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight belt. His legal team says that belt was ceremonial, rather than a competing world title designed to bypass the IBF, WBA, WBC or WBO.
The complaint says the IBF initially approved the Glanton fight and that Opetaia paid $73,000 in IBF sanctioning fees the day before it took place. Eleven days after his victory, however, the IBF removed him as champion. Opetaia alleges the organisation did not supply required disclosures to the Nevada State Athletic Commission before accepting those fees, an issue his team says breached requirements under the Ali Act.
Opetaia became IBF champion for the first time by beating Mairis Briedis in July 2022. He had previously been stripped in late 2023 after facing Ellis Zorro instead of a scheduled mandatory defence against Briedis, before regaining the vacant belt by outpointing Briedis in their rematch in May 2024. ESPN reports he made four successful title defences in total before the Glanton contest.
His latest lawsuit argues the IBF knew that removing the title would reduce his leverage for major fights, including potential unification bouts. It specifically accuses IBF executive director Daryl Peoples of coordinating with counterparts at rival sanctioning bodies in an alleged plan to cause “maximum” reputational and financial harm because of Opetaia’s Zuffa deal. Those remain allegations in an active civil case and have not been proven in court.
The case lands amid a fight over the proposed Muhammad Ali Revival Act, which would permit Unified Boxing Organizations to combine promotion, rankings and sanctioning in a model closer to the UFC’s structure. Zuffa supports the legislation, while existing sanctioning bodies and promoters have opposed it, arguing it could weaken fighter protections contained in the current Ali Act. The House of Representatives passed the measure earlier this year, while Senate action remains pending.
