WHYTE SAYS HE FOUGHT ITAUMA WITH A FRACTURED FOOT

Dillian Whyte has said he fought Moses Itauma with a fractured foot when the pair met in Riyadh in August 2025, a bout that ended in Whyte's defeat inside two minutes. Itauma stopped Whyte on a card he headlined for the first time. Observers at the time noted that Whyte appeared subdued during his ring walk, declining to perform his usual pre-fight wolf howl. Whyte has now explained why, saying he sustained the injury during a sparring session in his training camp for the fight. He said the fracture occurred when he stepped back the wrong way while working with larger, agile sparring partners who were pressing him forward.

Whyte said the injury returned on the night of the fight, breaking again as he skipped rope during his warm-up. A doctor examined his foot and advised him against competing, but Whyte said he refused to withdraw, arguing that he had travelled to Saudi Arabia and was not willing to pull out at the last minute. He said he remained confident he could take Itauma into the later rounds and stop him, citing the approach Filip Hrgovic had reportedly used against Itauma the previous month. Whyte and his team called in the doctor to examine the foot before fight night, but he insisted on continuing regardless of the advice given.

Whyte has not fought since his defeat to Itauma. He is now being linked with a return on a Zuffa Boxing card, according to reports. Whyte is said to be targeting a fight against fellow British heavyweight Johnny Fisher. No date or venue for any future bout has been confirmed. The foot injury and its handling before the Itauma fight had not previously been made public.