Ben Whittaker offered British blockbuster with Anthony Yarde as timeline laid out

Anthony Yarde would ‘relish’ the opportunity to face Ben Whittaker, according to his trainer and manager, Tunde Ajayi.

The 35-year-old hasn’t set foot in the ring since a punishing seventh-round stoppage loss to David Benavidez in November.

Getty

It marked a third unsuccessful crack at light heavyweight gold, but it hasn’t dampened Yarde’s spirits.

Talks are already underway for Yarde’s next fight, with Nigeria among the possible hosts now that Ajayi is working closely with the country’s leading promoter, Balmoral Promotions, on a strategic partnership.

“AY is ready,” Ajayi told talkSPORT. “One thing about AY is he has been a consummate professional his whole career.

“And I always put that down to how he has managed to get these fights.

“He is consistent and professional. Until he is ready to call it a day, he will be ready.

“Right now, we are in discussions about him fighting within the next couple of months.

“Now, with this collaboration, don’t be surprised if you see Anthony Yarde in Nigeria.”

A possible fight with Ben Whittaker

Once Yarde has got his next outing out of the way, a bout with Whittaker could be made as early as the first quarter of 2026.

“We spoke to Frank Smith [about a fight with Ben Whittaker], and they told us he wasn’t going to be ready until early next year,” added Ajayi.

“Ben is on his trajectory now, and people have always tried to build their name on Anthony Yarde.

Getty

“And I don’t want Ben Whittaker to be another Joshua Buatsi where your whole career is built off us, and you still don’t fight.

“We want to see that fight: Anthony Yarde vs Joshua Buatsi, but we also want to see him against the new up-and-coming man [Ben Whittaker].

“And Anthony would relish a fight against him…

“If you want a fight, you know Anthony Yarde is your man.

“He’s a man who has proved himself over and over again.”

Whittaker faces Aussie-Irish boxer Conor Wallace in an IBF final eliminator on October 3 in Birmingham, as first reported by talkSPORT.com.

Getty

While Whittaker would become IBF mandatory for unified WBA, IBF and WBO 175lbs champion Dmitry Bivol in victory, the fight is unlikely to be ordered until the back end of next year.

That is because Bivol fulfilled his IBF mandatory obligation in May by outclassing Germany’s Michael Eifert.

All indications therefore point towards Whittaker taking a fight in the interim.

And an all-British showdown with Yarde could be the pick of the bunch.

Watch Boxing on DAZN

*If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenue

Sign up to DAZN to access the definitive subscription for boxing fans.

Upgrade to DAZN Ultimate from just £24.99/month, guaranteeing access to 185+ fights annually, a minimum of 12 pay-per-views at no extra cost, as well as every Lega Serie A match and other elite football access.

Alternatively, DAZN Standard is just £15.99/month, with the caveat you will have to pay for pay-per-view events.

Click here to sign up.