WBC: Whyte-Ortiz welcomed

Dillian Whyte is considering opponents for a December fight

Dillian Whyte is “welcome” to fight Luis Ortiz next in December, says WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman.

The Brixton heavyweight is yet to announce his next opponent for a possible date in December as talks continue with British rival Dereck Chisora, but Cuban Luis Ortiz has now put himself forward for a fight.

WBC president Sulaiman is considering an appeal by the No 1 ranked Whyte over Dominic Breazeale’s status as the current mandatory challenger, although he is happy for him to fight Ortiz while the process continues.

Luis Ortiz is open to a possible fight with Whyte

“We will welcome that [Whyte-Ortiz] and do a final elimination for the second mandatory, while we address Breazeale,” Sulaiman told Sky Sports.

“I truly believe Dillian Whyte is very much deserving of the No 1 position where he is ranked. Dominic Breazeale is a mandatory contender for specific circumstances, which happened last year, and that’s the bottom line.”

Whyte has questioned why he has not received a mandatory shot at WBC champion Deontay Wilder, instead of Breazeale, who has not fought since a stoppage win over Eric Molina last November.

Dominic Breazeale is mandatory challenger for WBC champion Deontay Wilder

The WBC expect to deliver their final ruling about the mandatory status in the next few weeks, but Sulaiman remains committed to making a blockbuster bout between the winner of Wilder’s title fight with Tyson Fury and unified champion Anthony Joshua.

Sulaiman said: “He is challenging the WBC ruling, which he has all the rights to do so, and we’re going to be addressing it, because it was very tight, between our meeting, his appeal letter, and the convention.

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“We could not do the due process at that time. We’re going to address it.

“Basically he does not accept that the WBC recognises Breazeale as mandatory, and he is claiming the WBC to withdraw recognition of Dominic Breazeale, and to appoint him the mandatory.

“We will certainly look into his appeal, and address it. I would say in the following two, three weeks, however, everything is based on December 1, and then on trying to make the fight with Joshua.

“Whatever is decided, there comes precedent for importance, if the Joshua-Wilder fight or Joshua-Fury.”

Watch Lewis Ritson’s European title fight against Francesco Patera in Newcastle, with Joshua Buatsi, David Allen and Anthony Fowler also on the bill at the Metro Radio Arena, Saturday, from 7pm on Sky Sports Action.