Dillian Whyte ordered to face Kubrat Pulev by IBF that could jeopardise Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder

The IBF have issued a mandatory notice to Eddie Hearn for Whyte to face Pulev, with the winner to face Joshua even though he will start talks to fight Wilder this week

Dillian Whyte has been ordered to face Kubrat Pulev for the mandatory heavyweight challenger position with the IBF (Getty)

Dillian Whyte has been ordered to fight Kubrat Pulev in what looks to be his path towards a rematch with Anthony Joshua, with the winner set to become the mandatory challenger to the IBF heavyweight title.

Whyte has plenty of options for his next fight, having knocked out Lucas Browne last week in devastating circumstances that strengthened his claims to join the world title mix, and the ‘Body Snatcher’ immediately called out WBC champion Deontay Wilder to face him later this year.

But with Joshua also eyeing a unification fight against Wilder and talks due to begin this week over a blockbuster clash later this year, Whyte will need to consider other options for his next bout that could shoot him up to the top of the contenders list in facing Joshua.

Whyte was in attendance on Saturday night at the Principality Stadium to see Joshua defeat Joseph Parker, and it was there that both he and promoter Eddie Hearn claimed that a verbal agreement was in place for Whyte to face Alexander Povetkin, following his brutal knockout victory over David Price.

But Hearn announced late on Monday night that the IBF have now order Whyte to face Pulev, who was due to fight Joshua last year only to pull out after suffering a shoulder injury. The Bulgarian has not fought in nearly a year, with his victory over Kevin Johnson on 28 April 2017 remaining the last time that the 36-year-old has been seen in the ring, and with Whyte already the No 1 contender for Wilder’s WBC belt, victory over Pulev would see him installed as the mandatory challenger for Joshua’s IBF title too.

Writing on Twitter, Hearn said: “Just received a letter from the IBF ordering a final eliminator for the mandatory position between @DillianWhyte and @KubratPulev – interesting times for the division!”

With Pulev ranked second and Whyte fourth with the IBF, the winner could potentially muddy the waters over a Joshua vs Wilder superfight depending on when the planned bout takes place. Whyte said on Saturday that he would be open to fighting again as early as July, which could jeopardise Joshua’s plan to face Wilder in September as the IBF could order Joshua to face either Whyte or Pulev or be stripped of the title.

The fate of the belt will likely rest with Hearn, given that he promotes Whyte as well as Joshua, and he could look to negotiate a situation that would allow Joshua to face Wilder and then either Whyte or Pulev. If not, the likelihood is that Joshua will not get a chance to face Wilder until 2019, when it’s hoped that former world champion Tyson Fury will also be back in the mix as he targets a comeback.