Tony Bellew vs David Haye rematch rescheduled at The O2 on May 5

Bellew stunned Haye in their grudge match in March and the two had been due to face off again this month at the O2 Arena, only for Haye to suffer a bicep injury

The pair will meet in a rematch on May 5 (Getty)

The postponed rematch between David Haye and Tony Bellew will now take place on May 5, promoter Eddie Hearn has announced.

Bellew, the former WBC cruiserweight champion, pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent British boxing history when he stopped Haye in the 11th round of their first contest, in March.

The pair had been due to meet in a rematch later this month, only for Haye to pull out after injuring his bicep in a “freak accident during a stair conditioning session”. Haye required surgery to treat the injury but is now set to meet Bellew again in the spring.

“I'm pleased to get a new date in the diary and I look forward to giving boxing fans a great night on May 5,” Bellew said on Tuesday.

“To be honest I was looking forward to a great victory in December and a relaxing family break over Christmas but my mind is still very much on this fight and I will punish him for that.”

Bellew also set out his plan for the rest of 2018, which includes a potential showdown with former unified world champion and long-term rival Tyson Fury, who has been absent from the sport since testing positive for a banned steroid in June 2016.

“I now have a very clear plan for 2018 and that is to knock out David Haye and then knock out Tyson 'Stavros Flatley' Fury and end both their careers,” Bellew added. “But first things first I need to rid the sport of David Haye on May 5 and I look forward to doing this in what I believe will be an explosive fight.”

Haye, who said that he was “heartbroken” to have suffered an injury ahead of the planned December date, meanwhile admitted that he was now fighting to keep his career alive.

The former WBA heavyweight champion previously retired from the sport after stopping Dereck Chisora in July 2012, but returned in 2016 and has been angling for a title shot ever since.

Haye required surgery to treat his bicep injury (Getty)

“Tony has boasted that the rematch gives him the opportunity to force me into retirement,” said Haye. “Unquestionably, I step into the ring on Saturday May 5, with both my career and legacy on the line.

“After my freak accident down a stairwell last month, I was heartbroken not to give everyone the ending to 2017 I wanted. Since then I had to accept the cards I had been dealt, remain positive and focus on factors which are within my control; rehabilitation and rescheduling the fight.

“Over the past five years, I've had a number of challenges to overcome, but learnt often during times of adversity we learn and grow. As a result, come May 5, Tony will be faced with a more experienced and more determined opponent.”