Heavyweight puncher Luis Ortiz has accepted the recent challenge from Dillian Whyte, according to the Cuban boxer's manager Jay Jimenez.

In a recent interview, Whyte made it clear that he was very willing to face Ortiz on a date in February.

By FIGHT SPORTS. We could be in for an intriguing tilt at heavyweight in Dillian Whyte vs. Whyte is due for a rematch with Alexander Povetkin for the interim WBC Heavyweight Championship. Povetkin took the title from Whyte back in August with his stunning fifth-round TKO finish. The rematch has been delayed, however, due to the fact that Povetkin is still recovering from COVID-19. Luis Ortiz may get a second chance to face Deontay Wilder, and Dillian Whyte gets another chance to fight for a world title, as the WBC has ordered the two to face off in a final eliminator. Originally reported by Boxing Scene, the two have been ordered to face off, with the winner becoming the mandatory challenger to Wilder, who awaits a. By Jim Dower: Dillian Whyte (24-1, 17 KOs) has the green light from the World Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaiman to face former heavyweight world title challenger Luis ‘King Kong’ Ortiz.

Whyte has been out of the ring since August, when he was brutally knocked out in five rounds by Alexander Povetkin at Matchroom's Fight Camp in Brentwood.

A rematch with Povetkin was set for November 21, and then for January 30 - with both dates being postponed as Povetkin continues to recover from a recent battle with COVID-19.

In order to stay busy while waiting for Povetkin to get healthy, Whyte is open to fighting in February against Ortiz.

'Even now, Povetkin keeps delaying it, saying he's sick. I'm like, 'Okay, that's fine, I want you to be at your best when I fight you'. Have as much time as you want, let me fight Luis Ortiz in February, and then I'll fight you later in the year,' Whyte told Sky Sports.

And Ortiz has no problem with taking that fight.

'Ortiz heard those rumours. I guess Dillian was calling his name and other names, and he reached to me and asked me, 'Look, if that's true, I would like to step in the ring with him. That would be a great fight.' I told him that I would find out. I think yeah, that would be a great fight,' Jimenez said to Sky Sports.

'Luis Ortiz would love to take that fight. I say January, February [Ortiz could be ready]. I know Dillian Whyte had that unfortunate loss and he was winning the fight, he got careless, and he got caught, but that's the heavyweights. That's the heavyweight division. You can't afford any slippage. If that's possible [to fight Whyte in the UK], yes we'll go wherever the money is at. That would be a big fight.'

Earlier this week, heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz made it clear that he was very willing to get in the ring with Dillian Whyte in the coming months. He's open to traveling over to the UK for the fight.

Whyte has been out of the ring since August, when he was knocked out in brutal fashion by Alexander Povetkin.

Since that fight, Whyte has been trying to secure a concrete date for a rematch - with November 21 and January 30 being pushed back as Povetkin recovers from COVID-19.

'If we could make the Dillian Whyte fight, I think that would be a great stepping stone, especially in the UK market,' said Jimenez to Sky Sports.

'Dillian Whyte is no walkover, he's no stepping stone, but if that fight were to happen and Luis could come out victorious, I think we do deserve a Joshua fight.'

Ortiz's manager, Jay Jimenez, believes Whyte would be the perfect fight to lead the Cuban heavyweight to a showdown with IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO world champion Anthony Joshua.

Ortiz was in position for a fight with Joshua in June of 2019. The two sides were unable to reach a financial agreement.

When Ortiz fell out of the picture, then Andy Ruiz quickly jumped on the opportunity - and pulled off a massive upset when he stopped Joshua in seven rounds at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Jimenez is not overly confident Ortiz would have actually received the fight.

'I think it would have [been a victory for Ortiz], because I don't think Joshua was ready for a southpaw. He couldn't get ready for a southpaw in a month's time. We wanted the fight. I don't think Eddie [Hearn] really would have gave us the fight anyway. It wasn't a smart decision to step into a southpaw in a month. Not a southpaw like Luis. A bigger, stronger southpaw,' Jimenez said.

Luis Ortiz Vs Dillian Whyte -

'No regrets, it happened, and the right guy won that day, because maybe if it was someone else, he wouldn't have beaten Joshua. Joshua is just so skilled, so big. No regrets, hopefully we get another shot.'