Boxing Hall-of-Famer Roy Jones Jr has urged fighters to stay away from Zuffa Boxing and Dana White as Jai Opetaia was stripped of the IBF cruiserweight championship for a second time.
The IBF issued a statement on Tuesday confirming the belt is now vacant, following the Australian's involvement in the Zuffa Boxing title bout against Brandon Glanton earlier this month.
An unsanctioned contest is a fight which the IBF has not formally approved for sanction or where sanction has been formally withdrawn.
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"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," the statement said.
Days after Opetaia's manager Mick Francis told Wide World of Sports the IBF belt would be up for grabs in the Glanton fight, the IBF withdrew its sanction before the bout.
However, after refunding Opetaia $US73,000 in sanctioning fees, the IBF held a board of directors meeting and voted to strip the Aussie of his title.
"The IBF wishes Jai Opetaia continued success in his career," the IBF said in a statement. "He rose through the IBF rankings to become world champion, one of the highest achievements in a fighter's career.
"As noted in an earlier press release regarding this situation, the IBF's rules don't always yield the preferred or popular outcome, but they provide structure and transparency, serving not just the champion but also those waiting for the opportunity to fight for the title."
Australia's Opetaia (30-0, 24 KOs) agreed to sign with Zuffa only if he could keep his IBF title and pursue the WBA, WBC and WBO belts.
Jones Jr, urged other boxers to look at Opetaia's situation as a test case.
"If you join Dana White then you're going to be out of the rankings," he told betting website Betsson.
"Look at Jai Opetaia, he wasn't even allowed to defend his world title and won't be able to become undisputed champion in boxing because he has joined Dana White.
"His title doesn't mean nothing right now in boxing, it has no history and becoming undisputed champion is everything in boxing.
"It means something to the sport of boxing while Zuffa has nothing right now.
"It will be Dana White against the rest of the boxing promoters and that is how it is going to stay.
"If he takes over boxing and somebody pisses him off in boxing, then they're going to be out of boxing because he is the sole person in control of the whole thing now.
"You can't just come in like this - who do we know right now that is Zuffa champion and care?
"How are you going to get rid of the 100 years of boxing history? You can't do that.
"(White) isn't good for the guys who aren't getting a chance. Think about this. Anderson Silva is your best example.
"In MMA, he is one of the best to ever do it. But now he has to do boxing because he wants to see how much money he can make.
"In the UFC, you cannot do that. He invented the UFC and made MMA the sport it is, but he didn't invent boxing."
Boxing Hall-of-Famer Roy Jones Jr has urged fighters to stay away from Zuffa Boxing and Dana White as Jai Opetaia was stripped of the IBF cruiserweight championship for a second time.
The IBF issued a statement on Tuesday confirming the belt is now vacant, following the Australian's involvement in the Zuffa Boxing title bout against Brandon Glanton earlier this month.
An unsanctioned contest is a fight which the IBF has not formally approved for sanction or where sanction has been formally withdrawn.
READ MORE: Dragons 'had no idea' as halves told to 'stand up'
READ MORE: England greats fume after huge call made on Stokes, McCullum
READ MORE: 'He moans': Verstappen told to 'shut up and drive'
"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," the statement said.
Days after Opetaia's manager Mick Francis told Wide World of Sports the IBF belt would be up for grabs in the Glanton fight, the IBF withdrew its sanction before the bout.
However, after refunding Opetaia $US73,000 in sanctioning fees, the IBF held a board of directors meeting and voted to strip the Aussie of his title.
"The IBF wishes Jai Opetaia continued success in his career," the IBF said in a statement. "He rose through the IBF rankings to become world champion, one of the highest achievements in a fighter's career.
"As noted in an earlier press release regarding this situation, the IBF's rules don't always yield the preferred or popular outcome, but they provide structure and transparency, serving not just the champion but also those waiting for the opportunity to fight for the title."
Australia's Opetaia (30-0, 24 KOs) agreed to sign with Zuffa only if he could keep his IBF title and pursue the WBA, WBC and WBO belts.
Jones Jr, urged other boxers to look at Opetaia's situation as a test case.
"If you join Dana White then you're going to be out of the rankings," he told betting website Betsson.
"Look at Jai Opetaia, he wasn't even allowed to defend his world title and won't be able to become undisputed champion in boxing because he has joined Dana White.
"His title doesn't mean nothing right now in boxing, it has no history and becoming undisputed champion is everything in boxing.
"It means something to the sport of boxing while Zuffa has nothing right now.
"It will be Dana White against the rest of the boxing promoters and that is how it is going to stay.
"If he takes over boxing and somebody pisses him off in boxing, then they're going to be out of boxing because he is the sole person in control of the whole thing now.
"You can't just come in like this - who do we know right now that is Zuffa champion and care?
"How are you going to get rid of the 100 years of boxing history? You can't do that.
"(White) isn't good for the guys who aren't getting a chance. Think about this. Anderson Silva is your best example.
"In MMA, he is one of the best to ever do it. But now he has to do boxing because he wants to see how much money he can make.
"In the UFC, you cannot do that. He invented the UFC and made MMA the sport it is, but he didn't invent boxing."
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