Tyson Fury has been stripped of the IBF heavyweight belt which he won against Wladimir Klitschko on November 28th.
Fury ended Klitschko's nine-year reign as heavyweight champion with a unanimous points win in Dusseldorf.
According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, the IBF stripped Fury of the belt when he refused to make a mandatory defence against Vyacheslav Glazkov.
Breaking: IBF today has stripped Fury of its heavyweight belt for not doing mandatory, ordered Glazkov-Martin for vacant title. #boxing
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) December 8, 2015
It is a possbility which was flagged in the days following Fury's win.
The Briton had a rematch clause in his fight contract with Klitschko, an option which the 39-year-old Ukrainian chose to take.
Lindsey Tucker, chairman of the IBF, explained to World Boxing News that a mandatory challenger would take priority over any rematch.
Regarding the Klitschko rematch taking precedence, it's just the opposite as the mandatory takes priority of the rematch. In fact Rule 3B Return Bout states: No contract for a championship contest shall contain any clause or provision, whatsoever, guaranteeing or in any way assuring or promising either contestant a return championship contest where such clause or provision interferes with the mandatory defense of the title.
So when Fury and Klitschko face each other again next year, it will be for just three belts, WBO, WBA and IBO.
