Dillian Whyte reveals he fought Moses Itauma with a fractured foot: ‘I was advised not to fight’
Dillian Whyte has told Sky Sports he fractured his foot in sparring and re-injured it during his warm-up before his fight against Moses Itauma in Riyadh, and that a doctor advised him not to take the bout.
Former world title challenger Dillian Whyte has revealed he carried a major foot injury into his short-lived fight with Moses Itauma in Riyadh. In an interview with Sky Sports, Whyte said he sustained a clean fracture during a sparring session in camp and then re-fractured the same foot while warming up on fight night. He added that the ringside doctor advised him not to fight, but he chose to go ahead. Whyte was halted by Itauma inside two minutes and has not fought since; he is now being linked to a potential return on a Zuffa Boxing card.
Whyte says a sparring fracture and a re-injury in his warm-up left him compromised for Itauma fight
Speaking to Sky Sports, Whyte described how the injury happened during camp. “I was running, and I felt it [my foot], and then I went to spar, and I was sparring big, agile guys and someone was pressing me, I stepped back the wrong way, and then it just fractured clean,” he said. Whyte added that during his fight-night warm-up he “jumped a little bit of rope, and then re‑injured the foot. Completely fractured it again.” He said a doctor examined the foot on site and advised him not to fight, but that he declined that recommendation. Those are Whyte’s own words from the Sky Sports interview.
Whyte went ahead despite medical advice and was stopped by Itauma inside two minutes
Whyte told Sky Sports he refused to pull out despite the doctor’s warning: “There’s no way I’m going to come all the way to Saudi and not fight last minute.” He said he remained confident he could drag Moses Itauma into later rounds and stop him, pointing to recent stoppage wins from other heavyweights as evidence. The bout in Riyadh ended swiftly — Whyte was halted by Itauma inside two minutes. Boxing News reported that fans and observers noted Whyte appeared despondent on his walk to the ring and did not perform his customary pre-fight wolf howl.
Whyte out since the defeat but linked to a Zuffa Boxing return and a potential clash with Johnny Fisher
Boxing News notes Whyte has not fought since his defeat to the younger Moses Itauma. The same report says Whyte is being linked to a return on a Zuffa Boxing card, where he is targeting a showdown with fellow British heavyweight Johnny Fisher. Boxing News reported those links; however, the material Boxing Ring News has been given includes no confirmation or official announcement of a return date, venue, or signed fight.