Top Rank, who co-promote heavyweight contender Kubrat Pulev, are firm that their man is next in line for the winner of the upcoming rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz.

Joshua and Ruiz will collide for the IBF, WBO, WBA, IBO world heavyweight titles on December 7th in Saudi Arabia.

Pulev is the IBF's mandatory challenger.

There is another mandatory challenger waiting in the wings - Oleksandr Usyk, who is the top challenger under the WBO.

But Top Rank maintains that Pulev will fight for the Joshua-Ruiz winner next - or their boxer will go after the vacant belt.

"Kubrat Pulev's next fight will be for the IBF world heavyweight title," his promoters Top Rank told Sky Sports. "If the Joshua-Ruiz winner decides not to fight Pulev, his next fight will be for the vacant IBF title."

In a previous statement, the IBF made it clear that their man is going to be the next one to receive a world title shot.

"Ours has to come first. The organisations have agreed that the IBF mandatory would be next," the IBF told Sky Sports.

Pulev had been undefeated since getting knocked out by Wladimir Klitschko in a world title fight in 2014. He was in action this past weekend, when he won a ten round unanimous decision over Rydell Booker.

Pulev has now won eight fights in a row since getting stopped in the Klitschlo fight.