Dillian Whyte is a British professional boxer, and former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He held the WBC interim heavyweight title from 2019 to 2020. At regional level, he has held multiple heavyweight titles, including the British title from 2016 to 2017.
As of December 2020, he is ranked as the world’s fifth best active heavyweight by The Ring magazine and seventh by BoxRec and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. He has been ranked among BoxRec’s top 10 heavyweights since 2016, reaching his career-high ranking of No.5 at the conclusion of 2018. As of 2020, Whyte has won three fights rated by BoxRec as 5-Star. His knockout-to-win percentage stands at 72%.
Whyte is also a former Kickboxing champion, having held the BIKMA British super-heavyweight title and the European K1 title, and has competed professionally in mixed martial arts.
Early Life.
Whyte was born in Port Antonio, Portland, Jamaica, on 11 April 1988. In the 1990s, Whyte moved with his family to the United Kingdom at 12 years of age. Of his early life Whyte has spoken of performance in academia at school in England, while adding: “I had no schooling at all when I lived in Jamaica.” As Whyte mentioned on iFL TV numerous times, it was hard times growing up in Jamaica, where he was “dodging bullets” and around situations no child at such an age should. Whyte grew up in Brixton, London and fought at Miguel’s Boxing Gym. He had spoken of the influencing experience boxing has had upon his early life, by stating: “I didn’t do too well at school, to be honest, but boxing saved me and changed my life. And it was going well, because I knew it was my best chance in life.”
Career.
Kickboxing.
Originally, Whyte was a professional kickboxer, to which he became two-time British heavyweight kickboxing champion by claiming the BIKMA super-heavyweight British title, and one-time European K1 champion, while being ranked UK #1 for five years in his weight category of 95 kg +, ending his kickboxing career with a K1 record of 20–1, before then turning to MMA.
Boxing Career.
In his first amateur bout, in 2009, aged 20, Whyte beat Anthony Joshua by unanimous decision (UD) over three rounds. He had stated prior to the fight that his trainer Chris Okoh admitted that the decision to agree to the fight was then considered a risk, albeit ultimately accepting the fight to which Whyte had stated, “But I said I’d take it. Sometimes you’ve just got to take opportunities when they come.”
He left one of his amateur opponents in a coma for several weeks due to a KO.
Dillian had a limited amateur record (6–0–0, 5 KOs) because of a dispute with the ABA regarding his kickboxing background, which led him to turn professional in 2011, although trainer Okoh wanted him to remain amateur.
Whyte made his professional debut on 13 May 2011. He fought Tayar Mehmed and won via points decision (PTS) in the fourth round, obtaining the decision of 40–36.
A sample for an in-competition drugs test that Whyte had provided after his victory over Hungary’s Sandor Balogh on 13 October was examined and subsequently tested positive for the banned stimulant Methylhexaneamine (MHA). The revelation came while Whyte was en-route to a news conference to announce a fight for the English title. The UK-Antidoping (UKAD) organisation confirmed that Whyte was provisionally suspended from all competition from 5 November 2012. An independent National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) found that the case warranted a two-year ban.
Whyte was cleared to compete from 12 October 2014, since his two-year ban by UKAD and returned to boxing on 21 November 2014 at the Camden Centre in London to fight Ante Verunica, a fight which lasted all of two rounds as Whyte delivered a hard shot that forced a stoppage from referee Jeff Hinds for a TKO victory.
Match against Joshua.
On 14 September 2015, it was announced that Whyte would fight old rival Anthony Joshua for the vacant British heavyweight title on 12 December at The O2 Arena in London on Sky Sports Box Office. Joshua was able to use his power to hurt Whyte in the first round.
He appeared hurt again in the second round but was able to catch Joshua with a counterpunch and follow it up, leaving Joshua visibly shaken. Whyte also landed several body shots towards the end of the round. This continued somewhat in the third round with Joshua still looking tired and stiff legged. As the rounds went on, Joshua regained his composure and took control. Whyte took many hard shots before coming back with his own, his chin has since been lauded by critics. Whyte was rocked again in the seventh round from a heavy right hand to the temple. Joshua was able to follow through and landed an uppercut that put Whyte down through the ropes and knocked him out.
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Personal Life.
Whyte has two sons and one daughter.
He has highlighted his early boxing idols, including Jack Dempsey, Sonny Liston, Archie Moore, Lennox Lewis and James Toney.
Net Worth: According to celebritynetworth.com Dillian Whyte has a reported net worth of $1 million as of January 2021. The primary source of income for the heavyweight is boxing.
