WBC orders Tyson Fury to defend title against Dillian Whyte

It seems the heavy weight world champion won't have to look for his next opponent, the WBC has chosen for him

WBC orders Tyson Fury to fight Dillian Whyte

According to reports on Tuesday the WBC has ordered reigning heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to defend his title against Dillian Whyte. Whyte has been the the organization's No. 1 contender for more than 1,000 days without a title shot. Fury who has a record of 31-0-1 with 22 KOs has one fight remaining on his contract with promotion company Top Rank while Whyte is under contract with Matchroom on a fight-by-fight basis. This is pertinent information in that should both parties fail to reach an agreement, there will be the unprecedented scenario of a purse bid wherein the rights to the heavyweight belt will be auctioned off.

Speaking on the situation in November Fury was nonchalant if not outrightly confident. "I'm due an easy fight anyway, [Whyte] would have been ideal really," Fury told iFL TV. "Heavy bag on legs is what I'm after to be honest. He'd have been the ideal candidate." Fury went on to add, "When they make him a mandatory challenger, I will defend my belt and butcher him, no problem."

Tyson Fury is on the up

The man known as the 'Gypsy King' said he will "100 percent" fight in February or March next year. Should the fight actually take place, it's expected to be held in the UK in the spring of the new year. Fury for his part has not fought in the U.K. since a comeback fight in August of 2018. In that time, however, the big man has climbed to the very pinnacle of the sport. Having fought a trilogy of fights against Deontay Wilder, the last of which was a classic going all the way to the 11th round, Fury -love him or hate him - has established himself as one of the sport's greats. Adding to the significance of his potential fight in the UK is the fact that all of his last five bouts were staged in the United States, with four in Las Vegas and one in Los Angeles. Indeed, Fury's name has grown in stature stateside.

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Fury, Joshua, Usyk and the WBC

It must be said, however, a fight against Whyte is not assured. Whyte who boasts a record of 28-2 with 19 KOs is without doubt a formidable opponent. There was of course discussion about the possibility of Anthony Joshua being paid to 'step aside' from his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in order to give Fury an opportunity to fight Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship, however, the notion has since been put to bed with the WBC's mandate. Should Fury fail to comply, it is likely he would be stripped of his belt.

What about Dillian Whyte?

Should anybody have doubts about Whyte, it should be said that he is without doubt an established boxer. The 33-year-old Londoner has defeated the likes of Joseph Parker and Derek Chisora and was only derailed by a TKO against Anthony Joshua in 2015. To date Whyte has been ranked in the top 10 boxers of the world since 2016 and as of summer 2021 has been ranked at No.2. In response to the potential fight with Fury, Whyte took to social media in November where he said, "The coward [Fury] really doesn't want any smoke, I can't wait for my moment, it will be a special night."