The Brixton heavyweight is still seeking his next fight after improving his record to 25-1 with a second career win over Dereck Chisora at the O2 back in December thanks to an 11th-round knock-out. Whyte had been tipped to go head-to-head with unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in a rematch of their all-British clash from four years ago. But though an April billing at Wembley was available, Joshua will instead go to the United States to take on Jarrell Miller in New York on June 1 with fans made to wait to watch the three-belt superstar take on WBC champion Deontay Wilder in a much-anticipated bout. Wilder himself is unavailable and takes on Dominic Breazeale on May 18 at Madison Square Garden, while Tyson Fury will also go Stateside to take on Tom Schwarz on June 15.

That has left 31-year-old Whyte - who is desperate for a title shot after wins over Chisora and Joseph Parker - seeking other opponents but he insists there has been no progress in talks with either the fearsome Ortiz or ex-WBA title-holder Povetkin. Whyte told iFLTV of the duo: “Those are fights we’re looking at, those are fights we’re trying to get. But these guys want too much money. “These guys are trying to get the same money they’d get to fight Joshua to fight me. You made $500,000 to fight Deontay Wilder, we offered £2m to fight. That’s Luis Ortiz. “I’ve offered Ortiz the fight three times, he didn’t want it. Povetkin agreed to fight me, didn’t want it. What can I do? I keep trying to fight these guys. These guys know I’m a problem.

Dillian Whyte says Ortiz and Povetkin want too much money

Dillian Whyte has been denied high-profile fights with Wilder, Fury and Joshua

Whyte says the money his rivals want could only be given to them by facing Anthony Joshua

I need to get a prey lined up so I can begin the hunt Dillian Whyte

“As far as I know, as Eddie [Hearn] has said, he’s made some offers. On social media and in public Eddie’s showing offers he’s made to Wilder and other guys. “Listen Eddie’s a good promoter. Sometimes he’s put in a difficult position where he can’t deliver what I want him to because he’s got certain people’s best interest at hand, but it is what it is. “He’s making offers, sending us them on the e-mail chain and stuff but a lot of guys don’t want to fight me. “I’m not gonna say I’m the best boxer in the world, the strongest and the fastest but you’ll find it hard to find a boxer who has got more drive, more courage and a bigger heart than me.” Whyte did confirm, however, that a date has been booked for his return to the ring. He added: “July 13, live at the O2, Whyte headlining, don’t know who yet. Eddie’s reckoning something. Should have something in the next couple of weeks, hopefully. Time’s ticking. “We need to put a prey to the hunt. I need to get a prey lined up so I can begin the hunt.”

Alexander Povetkin has been billed as a potential opponent for Whyte

Veteran Luis Ortiz is another whom Whyte could take on