Promoter, Eddie Hearn has said Dillian Whyte and Kubrat Pulev have been instructed to fight by the International Boxing Federation (IBF).
According to Sky Sports, Hearn revealed the news on Monday night on social media by tweeting he had received "a letter from the IBF ordering a final eliminator for the mandatory position between heavyweights Whyte and Pulev. Interesting times for the division!"
According to the report, the bout involving Pulev and Whyte would be a showdown that could lead to the winner becoming the next mandatory challenger to Anthony Joshua's IBF belt.
Anthony Joshua who currently holds the IBF, WBO, WBA belts is seeking the final unification bout with Deontay Wilder in order to add the WBC belt to his titles. The desire may be temporarily stalled as the IBF might order an immediate match between Joshua and the winner of Pulev versus Whyte.
Whyte is currently the No 1 contender to WBC champion Deontay Wilder's title and one option is for him to switch his attention to a version of the WBA belt to eventually secure his rematch with Joshua, to whom he lost in December 2015.
Whyte brutally knocked out Lucas Browne a week before Joshua's win against Parker.
Pulev pulled out of fighting Joshua in October 2017 after the Bulgarian injured his shoulder in sparring. Joshua went onto beat his replacement Carlos Takam.
