Shakur Stevenson decided to add another world title to his list.

Stevenson most recently defeated Teofimo Lopez to win the WBO super lightweight title, but it appears the 28-year-old feels there is unfinished business at 135 pounds.

Stevenson moved up from lightweight to fight Lopez in January, delivering a truly dominant performance to become a four-division world champion, although the crafty southpaw found that was stripped of his WBC title at 135 pounds for failure to comply with the sanctioning body’s rules.

In response, Stevenson posted a scathing post on social media against the WBC, at no point ruling out a potential return to lightweight.

But instead of regaining his green and gold belt, the pound-for-pound star expressed his desire to take the vacant Ring Magazine lightweight title.

I’m talking to Joe RoganStevenson explained that to fulfill his dream, he would have to defeat IBF world champion Raymond Muratalla, who is ranked No. 2 by Ring Magazine.

“I can get back to 135 pounds[lbs] and get this Ring [Magazine] belt. We’ll see though. I can’t promise I’ll do it, but I can.

“I like the Ring Magazine belt. I know the opponent I would have to fight to get it – I hear it’s Raymond Muratalla.

“He’s a good fighter – he just beat Andy Cruz – [but] this is not [about] opponent; it’s more about having the Ring belt.

Muratalla is coming off a sturdy showing against Olympic gold medalist Cruz, whom he overtook by a majority vote to defend his IBF title in January.

However, the American is widely believed to be slim and has previously suggested moving up to 140 pounds.

The IBF rules, which will cost Jai Opetaia the cruiserweight title, are one of the clearest rules in boxing and have now impacted the Australian for the second time without him being defeated in the ring.

World Boxing News has already reported that the IBF has withdrawn sanctions for Opetaia’s defense against Brandon Glanton after it became clear that Zuffa’s World Cruiserweight title would still be a fight on March 8.

WBN also examined how Opetai’s quest for undisputed status left him without a belt.

After the sanctions were lifted, the fight became an unsanctioned fight under IBF rules. This is where Rule 5.H comes in.

“If a champion enters an unsanctioned fight within the designated weight limit, the title will be declared vacant regardless of whether the champion wins or loses the fight.”

Explanation of IBF Rule 5.H

The IBF defines an unsanctioned fight as a fight for which it has not been formally approved or which has later been withdrawn.

This distinction matters here because the Opetai fight was initially sanctioned before the IBF changed its stance.

After this consent was withdrawn, the fight automatically entered the unsanctioned category.

There were already signs of a turnaround earlier in fight week when no IBF belt appeared during the Opetaia-Glanton press events, with the Zuffa Championship taking center stage instead.

From this point on, the recipe leaves little room for interpretation. If the champion continues to fight at the division limit, the title will be considered vacant regardless of the outcome.

It doesn’t matter whether the champion wins, loses or draws. The belt may not remain attached to a fighter after participating in an unsanctioned championship fight.

This rule is intended to prevent champions from competing for rival world titles outside of the federation’s own sanctioning system.

Why sanctioning authorities enforce it

Rules like 5.H exist to protect the title structure. If a champion was free to challenge for external championships while also holding the IBF belt, the organization’s rankings, credentials and paths to title success would quickly become irrelevant.

The IBF made this philosophy clear in its statement, emphasizing that the rules are intended to provide structure and clarity not only to the champion, but also to challengers waiting for their chance.

Therefore, the federation returned to the customary four-lane route to undisputed status. According to the IBF, the recognized path remains to unify the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles, rather than allowing separate championships to exist alongside them.

Opetaia and parallel 2023

This isn’t the first time IBF rules have stripped Opetaia of his belt.

This is the second time an undefeated cruiserweight has lost his title as a result of rule enforcement and politics rather than defeat.

The Australian gave up the same belt in 2023, opting for a lucrative fight in Saudi Arabia against Ellis Zorro rather than face mandatory challenger Mairis Briedis first.

At this stage, the IBF has already granted one exemption and refused to allow another. Opetaia moved forward anyway, taking advantage of Saudi Arabia’s opportunity, and the title was lost before he even stepped into the ring.

The current situation is based on a different clause but leads to the same result. Back then it was a mandatory defense rule. Now this is the rule of unsanctioned competitions.

Either way, Opetaia twice saw his IBF championship stripped away by strict application of the rules rather than by another cruiserweight defeating him.

The result is the same. Opetaia may still be viewed by many as the best cruiserweight in the world, but rules have twice prevented him from carrying the IBF belt forward.

If a fight with Glanton takes place under current conditions, the title will automatically be vacant.

For a fighter striving for full unification, it’s another reminder that in the cruiserweight division, Opetai’s biggest obstacles weren’t always on the opposite side.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

Dana White “has no problems with it.” Tom Aspinall signing a business deal with Eddie Hearn and denying he ever questioned his champion’s eye injury.

UFC heavyweight champion Aspinall (15-3) has signed with Matchroom Talent Agency, a modern initiative run by boxing promoter Hearn.

Aspinall remains under contract to fight in the UFC, but can now count on professional advice from Hearn, who has emerged as a rival to White’s Zuffa Boxing.

Zuffa signed Conor Benn, who had spent his entire professional boxing career at Matchroom, leaving Hearn disappointed.

White reacted to Aspinall welcoming Hearn into his inner circle, saying at the UFC 326 press conference: “We have no issues with Eddie.

“They can hire whoever they want to represent them. Tito Ortiz [the ex-UFC fighter whom White feuded with] he represented the people and we managed to do that.”

Dana White denies questioning Tom Aspinall’s injury

Aspinall spent 14 months away from fighting in the hope of meeting Jon Jones, which never materialized.

His interim heavyweight title was elevated to full status outside the Octagon when Jones retired, but his return to fight Ciril Gane ended in disaster.

The fight was declared a no-contest when Aspinall was unable to continue due to accidental pokes to the eyes.

White has not spoken to Aspinall since he underwent surgery on both eyes last month, but he denied ever questioning the severity of his injuries.

“The company has talked to him. I haven’t talked to him. Tom and I clearly need to talk,” White told Piers Morgan Uncensored. “Tom recently came out, his dad did too. They felt like I was their s–t when I talked about his eye injury, which absolutely wasn’t the case.

“Tom Aspinall is a guy I respect. He’s great to work with. I never once questioned his injury or talked negatively about him. I said, ‘I think he’s OK, I think he’ll be fine.’ And they came out and said, “No, it’s not like that.” He said, “I haven’t talked to Dan, I don’t know why he said that.” But of course my medical team is talking to him. That’s what I thought.

“They thought I kicked him in some way, which I absolutely didn’t and wouldn’t do. I like him a lot and I respect him a lot. I’ve never had a problem with Tom Aspinall. I have. He’s still struggling with what’s going on with his eyes. In the last 30 years in this business, I’ve seen injuries where I doubted guys could come back. And I always have. Including the eye pokes.”

“If you ask me, ‘Do I think Tom Aspinall will fight again?’ I would say, “Yes.”

Aspinall has no timetable for his return. He has previously expressed interest in a rematch with Gane.