Usky vs Bellew: Dillian Whyte says Oleksandr Usyk will 'struggle at heavyweight' after Tony Bellew fight

Dillian Whyte says Oleksandr Usyk will struggle moving up

Dillian Whyte believes Oleksandr Usyk will struggle at heavyweight and would "maul him all night long" should they fight.

The 'Body Snatcher' was ringside to watch the undisputed cruiserweight world champion knock Tony Bellew out in the eighth round, and after the fight, he immediately turned his attentions to pursuing Anthony Joshua's heavyweight titles.

Usyk and his team are promising to "bring new spirit" to the blue riband division but Whyte, who takes on old foe Derek Chisora on Sky Sports Box Office on December 22, does not see the Ukrainian as a genuine threat at heavyweight and would happily prove it.

4:34 Oleksandr Usyk says he was prepared for Tony Bellew's strategy, knowing the Liverpudlian had nothing to lose in his final fight Oleksandr Usyk says he was prepared for Tony Bellew's strategy, knowing the Liverpudlian had nothing to lose in his final fight

"Usyk will struggle at heavyweight," he exclusively told Sky Sports.

"Heavyweights are bigger and stronger guys and they will manhandle him. If I fought him I wouldn't do what Tony Bellew was doing, I'd be charging at him all around the ring.

"I can never see him shock a real heavyweight, maybe his movement to some lazy heavyweight, but as a heavyweight you close it down, nullify it, and beat him up, rough him up." Dillian Whyte

"He's not going to drop me with one punch. I would maul him all night long. I would fight him in a very uncomfortable zone for him.

"If it's a big fight and he wants it, he can have it. I'm game. If Usyk wants it he can have it. I'm the 'Can Man', like I say all the time. If you're a top-10 fighter, you can have it.

Usyk finished Bellew off in round eight

"I can never see him shock a real heavyweight, maybe his movement to some lazy heavyweight, but as a heavyweight, you close it down, nullify it, and beat him up, rough him up.

"You will out-weight him by two or three stones, so weigh him down, push him around. He didn't like a few things Bellew did, like hit him on the side of the head, and he was complaining, so I saw a few signs there that he doesn't like it rough."

Whyte and Derek Chisora met in the ring six weeks ahead of their rematch

Whyte and Chisora were sat feet apart for the main event and went face to face in the ring at the venue that saw the Brixton boxer get the split decision win two years ago.

The London rivals were in a relaxed mood at last week's press conference confirming their December rematch and Whyte was happy to give his old foe's close friend, Bellew, credit.

Bellew's performance was "great" in Whyte's eyes

"It was a great performance from Bellew but an even greater performance from Usyk," he said.

"I had Bellew winning the first four rounds easily but when you fight guys like that [Usyk], they're annoying. They keep moving around, catching you with annoying little punches that just break your concentration over time.

"Bellew fought better than people thought he would. It was strange, he started to back off, maybe his nose got broken or something, or his jaw or something, but it's too easy just sitting here saying he should've done this or that.

0:55 Watch highlights of Tony Bellew's final bout as he was knocked out by Oleksandr Usyk at the Manchester Arena on Saturday night Watch highlights of Tony Bellew's final bout as he was knocked out by Oleksandr Usyk at the Manchester Arena on Saturday night

"Personally though I thought Bellew should've roughed him up more. Maybe he was trying to prove a point by out-boxing a boxer."

Watch the rematch between Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora, live from The O2, London, on December 22, live on Sky Sports Box Office.