The IBF has stripped jailed Jermain Taylor of his middleweight belt and ordered its Nos. 1- and 2-ranked contenders, Hassan N’Dam and Felix Sturm, to fight for the vacant title before Feb. 9, according to a press release from President Daryl Peoples.

Taylor, 36, is inactive after having been ordered to undergo a mental evaluation related to his two arrests — in August for shooting his cousin and again last month for pointing a gun at a man’s head and threatening to shoot three small children at a Martin Luther King Jr. day parade in Little Rock, Arkansas.

“Any boxer who is ill, injured, under a legal impediment which would prevent the bout from taking place, or on suspension at the time the Championships Chairman and President order a bout under this rule shall be considered unavailable,” read a statement from Peoples. “The IBF wishes Jermain the best of luck and hopes that he is able to resolve these matters quickly.”

Taylor’s promoter, Lou Di Bella, “was advised to notify the organization when Mr. Taylor resumes his boxing career,” according to the statement.

In Taylor’s absence, former titleholders N’Dam and Sturm “have been ordered to fight for the title,” read the release. “They are to notify the IBF of their availability by February 9, 2015 by 5PM.”

Below is the entire press release from the IBF:

February 6, 2015, Springfield, NJ – The IBF Middleweight title, which was held by Jermain Taylor since October 8, 2014, has been vacated. It has been widely reported that on January 22, 2015, Mr. Taylor surrendered to authorities in Pulaski County, AK, was placed in custody and is due in court on February 10, 2015. Reports have also indicated that Mr. Taylor would be moved to a state hospital to await an evaluation which will take place by April 27.

Rule 5.C. of the IBF/USBA Rules Governing Championship Contests states in part:

“Any boxer who is ill, injured, under a legal impediment which would prevent the bout from taking place, or on suspension at the time the Championships Chairman and President order a bout under this rule shall be considered unavailable.”

It is the opinion of the IBF/USBA that Jermain Taylor’s confinement has effectively rendered him unavailable to prepare to defend his title at the time the Championships Chairman and the President are due to order his mandatory bout. Furthermore, his confinement prevents him from actively negotiating with the leading available contender under Rule 5.D.1. For these reasons, the Championships Committee and the Board of Directors have decided to withdraw recognition of Mr. Taylor’s title in accordance to Rule 5.D.1.(b) so as not to tie up the division and penalize the other boxers in the IBF Middleweight rankings.

“The IBF wishes Jermain the best of luck and hopes that he is able to resolve these matters quickly,” stated IBF President Daryl Peoples. Jermain Taylor’s promoter, Lou Di Bella, was advised to notify the organization when Mr. Taylor resumes his boxing career.

Hassan N’Dam and Felix Sturm, ranked numbers 1 and 3 respectively, are the two highest ranked contenders in the division and have been ordered to fight for the title. They are to notify the IBF of their availability by February 9, 2015 by 5PM.