Dillian Whyte has been offered a huge showdown with Lawrence Okolie in Nigeria before the end of the year.
The ‘Body Snatcher’ returned in a huge clash with young prodigy Moses Itauma in August, but was brutally stopped inside one round.
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Whyte has been offered a huge all-British clash with OkolieCredit: GETTY
It was a severe blow to his hopes of returning to the top of the division, and Whyte subsequently faced calls to retire from the sport.
Whyte then held extensive talks over a trilogy with Derek Chisora next month, but the bout collapsed with negotiations stalling.
Now, the 37-year-old finds himself at a crossroads with options thinning for a potential comeback.
But boxer-turned-promoter Amir Khan has now revealed Whyte has been officially offered a clash with former bridgerweight and cruiserweight world champion Okolie.
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He said: “We’ve offered Dillian Whyte the fight with Lawrence Okolie.
“There’s bad blood between the pair of them and it is a fight fans around the world have been calling for for a very long time. Lawrence is ranked No. 1 with the WBC.
“Dillian was chasing that belt down for years. We’re offering him a lifeline, a last shot to become world champion.
“We’ve made a very strong offer for him to fight Okolie and we hope he’ll accept the challenge.”
CEO of Balmoral Group Promotions later confirmed the offer, which could see Whyte return before the end of the year.
Okolie has already been announced on the bill for December 19, which will also feature David Adeleye.
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Whyte was flattened by Itauma in quickfire fashion and needs a big response in any next fightCredit: Getty
It is currently unclear if he is open to the clash, but if he accepts it will be his first bout in Nigeria.
Could Dillian Whyte vs Lawrence Okolie actually happen?
Whyte and Okolie have a history of verbal back and forths.
The pair first had heated exchanges on stage at their mutual press conference for a show headlined by Whyte’s planned clash with Joe Joyce earlier in the year.
But the show was then eventually cancelled.
Ever since, Okolie has insisted he would beat Whyte and upped the ante in verbal warfare.
The fight was teased by Okolie in August, but it failed to materialise.
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Whyte and Okolie have a jaded history and a fight makes sense
Ultimately it will provide a timely opportunity for both fighters to try and improve their value in the division before 2026.