Tyson Fury set for March title defence…but won’t be facing Brixton’s Dillian Whyte

Tyson Fury looks set to fight in March – but not against Dillian Whyte.

The WBC have ordered Fury to defend his title against Brixton heavyweight Whyte but there is a legal squabble over the split of the fight purse.

Frank Warren, who helps promote Fury along with Bob Arum, has claimed Whyte’s litigation will see them move in a different direction.

“The WBC and Dillian Whyte are in arbitration and that hearing is not set to be heard until March,” Warren told iFL TV.

“We can’t negotiate. How can you negotiate when the WBC haven’t said what the splits are? In his [Whyte’s] mind he thinks he is getting 45 per cent, in our mind it is 20 per cent – based upon the previous purses that were lodged under WBC regulations.

“They [the WBC] won’t determine what the percentages are until after the arbitration. That doesn’t mean the fight is going to take place in April – we’ve got to negotiate and book a venue. So Tyson will fight, but not for the WBC title.

“We’re innocent parties in this. It is a legal dispute between the WBC and Dillian Whyte. Tyson can’t sit around waiting for that to happen, so he is going to fight. He may defend his Ring belt.

“I’ve been talking to Bob Arum and Tyson about that, and that is the direction he wants to be going.

“If we’re still having real problems over here with Covid then we may end up back in the States. At the moment we can’t determine that.

“The ideal thing, for me, is for Tyson to have a homecoming in the UK – he hasn’t fought here in nearly two-and-a-half years.”

Arum has indicated Fury will face either Andy Ruiz Junior or Robert Helenius next.

PICTURE: MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING