Tyson Fury has issued a fresh message to Dillian Whyte, which seemingly confirms they'll face off in the ring in the near future.
The WBC has mandated Fury to defend his heavyweight title against his fellow Brit but this week saw purse bids delayed for the fourth time.
That comes amid continued speculation regarding the future of the Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk rematch, with Joshua reported to have a £15m offer on the table to step aside.
That would accelerate a unification bout between Fury and Usyk, with the winner then facing Joshua, but there's now a further twist in the tale.
Having spent the last few days criticising Joshua amid the uncertainty of his bout, Fury has now turned his attention towards Whyte.
Posting on social media, he's warned the London fighter that he's going to be 'annihilated' - with comments serving as the biggest indication that the pair will face off.
"I can't wait to punch Dillian Whyte's face right in mate. I'm going to give him the best hiding he's ever had in his life boy. Dillian Whyte, train hard sucker because you're getting annihilated bum."
Fury's camp have already reserved a late March date at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, which they hoped would be the date for his next bout, but that now seems extremely unlikely to be the case.
A fight with Whyte is widely expected to be Fury's long-awaited return to UK shores, having spent the last few years fighting in the United States.
A homecoming would likely be brief, however, as a unification fight with either Usyk or Joshua has Saudi Arabia as the favourites to host.
