Tyson Fury stripped of IBF belt

Tyson Fury has been stripped of his IBF world heavyweight title after refusing a mandatory defence, according to a report from the BBC.

The British fighter, 27, beat Ukraine’s Wladimir Klitschko in Dusseldorf on November 29 to win the WBA, WBO and IBF world titles.

But he has quickly lost the latter after signing up for a rematch with Klitschko rather than a bout against the IBF’s mandatory challenger.

Lindsey Tucker, championships chairman at the IBF, told BBC Sport: “It’s true he’s been stripped of his IBF belt.

“Our challenger was Vyacheslav Glazkov, but instead Fury’s gone and signed a rematch clause with Wladimir Klitschko.”

Klitschko took up the rematch available under a clause in the contract for their original fight, won by Fury in a unanimous points decision.

That left fellow Ukrainian Glazkov out in the cold and Fury facing the loss of one of his three belts.