Ricky Hatton has warned Tyson Fury he must avoid being dragged into a 'war' with Dillian Whyte, urging him to take a different approach than he did for the trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder.
The WBC-mandated fight is finally set to go ahead following lengthy delays in negotiations, where purse bids were delayed on four occasions before Frank Warren's record-breaking winning bid.
That has started the countdown for the 'Battle of Britain' clash, which is set to be Fury 's first fight on UK soil since 2019.
The Gypsy King is heavily-tipped as the favourite for his clash with Whyte, which represents the final hurdle before a unification bout with Oleksandr Usyk or Anthony Joshua.
However, Hatton believes Fury must avoid going toe-to-toe with his counterpart and should instead revert to the Tyson Fury of old.
"I’m delighted for Dillian – the poor sod have been waiting for ever and a day for his chance. But I think it is a fight Tyson can make as hard or as easy as he wants," he wrote in his Metro column.
"It all depends on how he comes out in those opening rounds. If Tyson tries to outbox him, he will do just that and could have a very comfortable night. But if he wants to go toe-to-toe and have a war, he is handing Dillian his best chance of winning that fight.
"A bit of the old Tyson Fury might be what is needed. Slow him down and break him down a bit. We’ve seen what Alexander Povetkin and Anthony Joshua did to him, we know Whyte can be knocked down, we know he can be hurt.
"I just think if Tyson, especially early on in the fight, reverts to the old Tyson, utilising that movement, making his opponent fall short, leaning on him and letting him [Whyte] blow himself out a little bit, he’ll have an easier night.
"But if he goes into the trenches immediately like he has done in his last two fights against Wilder, it could be dangerous. Tyson performed incredibly well in those last two fights against Wilder. But I think a different game plan might be needed for this one."
