Oscar De La Hoya, the Golden Boy Promotions chairman, has accused Dana White and Zuffa Boxing of deliberately misleading the International Boxing Federation over Jai Opetaia’s March 8 cruiserweight bout, claiming they violated IBF Rule 5 by presenting the Zuffa belt as a world championship after privately assuring the sanctioning body it was nothing more than a “trophy.”
The accusation follows a fight week that saw the IBF withdraw its sanction of Opetaia’s optional defense against Brandon Glanton less than 48 hours before the opening bell at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Opetaia (29-0, 23 KOs) went ahead with the fight anyway, winning by unanimous decision, but his IBF cruiserweight title now hangs in the balance.
De La Hoya’s claim centers on a documented gap between what Opetaia’s representatives told IBF President Daryl Peoples and what Zuffa Boxing showed the public at its March 6 press conference at the MGM Grand.
The Timeline That Triggered the Dispute
The chain of events began on Feb. 11, when Peoples discovered the Opetaia-Glanton bout on social media and contacted the champion’s team to remind them of IBF Rule 5, which restricts champions from fighting for rival championships without prior approval. The IBF does not recognize Zuffa Boxing as a sanctioning body alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.
On March 3, Opetaia’s representatives, from management group Tasman Fighters, formally assured the IBF that any belt awarded by Zuffa would be “characterized as a trophy or token of recognition.” The IBF approved the bout under those conditions.
Three days later, at the official press conference, Zuffa showcased the Zuffa World Cruiserweight title as a major championship alongside the IBF and Ring Magazine belts. The IBF said the presser “made it clear that the Zuffa World Cruiserweight title would still be contested on March 8.”
By March 7, the sanction was gone. The IBF designated the fight an “Unsanctioned Contest.”
The federation’s own rules state the consequences. Rule 5.H states: “If a Champion participates in an unsanctioned contest within his prescribed weight limit, the title will be declared vacant whether the Champion wins or loses the bout.”
Opetaia May Not Have Known
Despite that language, the IBF has not yet formally stripped Opetaia. The organization told World Boxing News that it is questioning whether the Australian was “made completely and fully aware by his advisors of the decisions he needed to make when committing to the bout against Brandon Glanton.”
Opetaia’s own comments during fight week suggest he believed the IBF belt was still on the line. He carried it to the weigh-in, wore it during his ring walk, and told media: “We just want to be undisputed and then go and hang out with our families. This is undisputed we’re talking about.”
The IBF confirmed the “status of the IBF Cruiserweight Title remains in deliberation.”
What Comes Next
White has hinted at potential legal action against the IBF following the withdrawal. The Zuffa Boxing boss has been vocal about his refusal to work within the traditional sanctioning body framework, and the IBF’s withdrawal has added to that divide.
This is the second time Opetaia has faced stripping by the IBF. He lost the title in December 2023 for fighting Ellis Zorro instead of mandatory challenger Mairis Briedis, then won it back by defeating Briedis in May 2024.
If the IBF does vacate the cruiserweight championship, reports indicate Chris Billam-Smith and Floyd Masson could meet for the vacant belt. For now, the title remains in deliberation as the IBF weighs its rules against the promotion’s actions.
