Ben Whittaker is keen to land a showdown with Dmitry Bivol, ahead of Saturday’s fight against Conor Wallace.
Victory for Whittaker over Wallace in Birmingham will put him in a mandatory spot for Bivol’s IBF light heavyweight world title. Their bout serves as a final eliminator for the belt and DAZN will broadcast it worldwide.
Bivol expects to defend his unified WBA, WBO and IBF titles against Callum Smith on December 12 in Russia, although promoters have not formally announced the fight yet.
And Whittaker is keen to secure a meeting with the Russian, before he calls time on his decorated career.
Whittaker: Bivol slowing down
“Of course, you’re gunning for the best,” he said on The Ariel Helwani Show.
“You can’t look past Saturday of course. Get the job done there.
“But that’s what the title is. It’s for the IBF. I know that the division is kind of opening up now with [David] Benavidez moving on maybe.
“[Artur] Beterbiev getting a bit older. Probably got one or two fights left same with Bivol.
Whittaker believes the timing is right to face Bivol, who turns 36 in December.
“But if the opportunity is there to fight him, it would be great to put him on the hitlist.
“Fighting someone like that in the time of his career, it would be the perfect time to get him really.
“I think he’s slowing down and I’m just speeding up if anything.”
Conor Wallace threat
Conor Wallace has won his last 10 bouts in a row. The Australian southpaw suffered a sole professional loss in 2021 by majority decision.
Whittaker, 29, has stopped his last four opponents and a fifth straight stoppage would mark a statement of intent to the division and particularly Bivol.
The Wolverhampton man halted Richard Rivera in two rounds in Brooklyn in June. This was the 2020 Olympic Silver medalist’s American debut.
Whittaker is at least a 1/10 favourite to defeat Wallace, who fights out of his native Australia for the first time in his career.
