Deontay Wilder wants Tyson Fury unification fight

‘No matter where it might be, I want to be the undisputed champion of the world’

Deontay Wilder has challenged Tyson Fury to a unification fight to decide who is the world's number one heavyweight.

While American Wilder holds the WBC belt, Fury's surprising victory over Wladimir Klitschko means the Briton is the IBF, WBO and WBA champion.

Wilder told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I’ve got to fight someone in January and after that fight I would love to have a unification bout — and guess what, I wouldn’t mind coming to the UK for that one.

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“No matter where it might be, I want to be the undisputed champion of the world.”

He added: "We haven't had an undisputed champion in I can't remember how long (Britain's Lennox Lewis was the last in 1999) — and I want to be the first name to bring the belts back together and heavyweight boxing back to its full potential.

“Next year is going to be a great year for me, regardless. Everything is falling in our plan, our time and our planning for what we want to do.”

Fury has dismissed the prospect of facing former world champion David Haye, who is coming out of retirement, but is open to a rematch with Klitschko and fancies facing British prospect Anthony Joshua further down the line.

Whether he fancies Wilder remains to be seen, with Fury initially deriding of the 30-year-old, three years his senior, calling him “a basketball player who took up boxing a couple of years ago”.

The reality is that Wilder turned professional after taking bronze at the 2008 Olympics, and has a 35-0 professional record.

“Let’s laugh at his name, shall we?” Fury said after seeing off Klitschko.

“Wladimir Klitschko was the number one in the division. Probably the pound-for-pound king, whatever that means. So why would I be bothered about a novice like Wilder?”