IBF super flyweight champion Daiki Kameda was told ahead of his controversial fight against Liborio Solis that the match would be held under IBF rules, allowing him to retain his title regardless of the result, the fighter's legal representative said in a statement Thursday.
Solis failed to make weight for the Dec. 3 IBF-WBA reunification fight. At the weigh-in the day before, it was announced that both titles would become vacant if Kameda lost.
Kameda lost by split decision, but still held on to the championship unbeknownst to the Japan Boxing Commission, which had demanded an explanation from the Kameda camp. The JBC was irked Kameda knew about the ruling change when no one else did.
According to Thursday's statement, both camps were told following the weigh-in that the fight would be governed by the IBF, which handed its rulebook to the two fighters.
The statement said Kameda double-checked the rules with the IBF representative at the meeting.