Rio Ferdinand Meets Tyson Fury
Oct 10Brixton banger Dillian Whyte has forged a reputation as one of the heavyweight division’s most exciting fighters over the years, throwing it all on the line every time he steps foot in the squared circle.
A perennial contender among the heavyweight elite, Whyte’s exclusion from the world title picture has been one of boxing’s more puzzling episodes – but the 34-year-old will finally get the opportunity he has been craving on April 23 when he challenges Tyson Fury for the WBC heavyweight crown.
BT Sport Box Office will have all the action exclusively live from 6pm tonight - check out our comprehensive viewing guide for all the information you need to book your seat ahead of this historic event.
Dillian Whyte: Amateur career
Whyte’s career as an amateur was relatively limited compared to some of his heavyweight contemporaries but he claimed one of the most significant victories of his career in his very first bout.
Aged just 20, Whyte defeated future unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua via unanimous decision, teeing up a vicious rivalry that has continued into the professional ranks and even remains today.
But after just six amateur bouts, Whyte, who had also competed previously as a kickboxer and mixed martial artist, turned professional, leaving behind an impressive if concise 6-0 (5 KO) record to become a prize-fighter.
Dillian Whyte: Record
Dillian Whyte’s record is one of the more impressive CV’s in the heavyweight division having shared the ring with a number of future and former champions on his way to becoming a challenger for the heavyweight crown himself.
He first came to many fight fans’ attention after coming up against Anthony Joshua in a sizzling London derby billed as a rematch of their amateur contest in which Whyte had triumphed many years earlier.
The game Brixton man was eventually stopped by Joshua in the seventh round, but his bravery and aggression won him a legion of new fans – and several new opportunities in the aftermath.
Subsequent wins over the likes of Dereck Chisora, Joseph Parker, Robert Helenius helped propel Whyte back towards the top of the division before defeating Oscar Rivas in 2019 to win the WBC interim heavyweight title.
However, his aim of unifying the WBC titles were dealt a shock blow in August 2020 when Russian veteran Alexander Povetkin knocked Whyte out cold.
Undeterred by his failure, Whyte subsequently avenged his defeat against the aging former world champion with a crushing fourth round KO in March last year.
Now Whyte faces arguably the biggest challenge of his career in unquestionably the biggest fight of his career as he takes on Tyson Fury at Wembley Stadium on April 23.
How old is Dillian Whyte?
Whyte is 34 years old. He was born on April 11 1988.
What is Dillian Whyte’s nickname?
Whyte’s nickname is one of the most memorable of his contemporaries, going by the moniker of “The Body Snatcher” in reference to his vicious knockout power.
Dillian Whyte: Knockouts
There’s no doubt Whyte is one of the biggest punchers in the heavyweight division – but in recent times the veteran fighter has gone to the scorecards with increasing frequency.
Whyte did knock Alexander Povetkin out on his most recent outing, improving his record to 28-2 with 19 stoppages inside the distance.
Dillian Whyte: Height
Whyte is not the tallest heavyweight in the divison, coming in at 6ft 4ins.
Dillian Whyte: Reach
Whyte’s long arms have handed him an impressive natural advantage with a reach of 78in.
Dillian Whyte: Trainer
Whyte enjoyed the most successful spell of his career in partnership with well-respected coach Mark Tibbs, whom he linked up with after his loss to Anthony Joshua in 2015.
However in July 2020, the pair announced an amicable parting of the ways with Whyte choosing to base himself in Portugal for his future fight camps.
Subsequently, Whyte linked up with American trainer Harold Knight before announcing Xavier Miller as the man in his corner going forwards.
Miller had been an integral part of Whyte’s team behind the scenes before stepping up to take the head trainer role.
Dillian Whyte: Next fight and future opponents
Whyte’s focus will be trained solely on Fury for this upcoming WBC world heavyweight showdown having spent years chasing the opportunity to become an outright world champion.
However, such is the buzz that exists within the British heavyweight boxing landscape, there are no shortages of options available to Whyte after fighting Fury.
Naturally, those options will become clearer after the fight but one possibility is a rematch against Anthony Joshua – a fight that both men have repeatedly stated they would love at some point in the near future.
If both Whyte and Joshua are victorious – or even defeated - against Fury and Oleksandr Usyk respectively, a heavyweight collision between the two London rivals would certainly make a mouth-watering prospect.
