Yarde Says He'd Take Whittaker Fight 'Tomorrow'

Anthony Yarde says he is ready to fight Ben Whittaker immediately, and claims Whittaker's camp once asked for another year before the two light heavyweights would meet.

Yarde made the claim in an interview with talkSPORT Boxing, saying his team approached Whittaker's side about a fight and were told Whittaker needed more time to develop. "Personally, we tried to get that fight, and then his team came back and said he would need another year," Yarde said. "He's still in that stage where he's growing and he's learning and all these kind of things. But if that fight got offered to me tomorrow, I'll take it."

The comments land just as Eddie Hearn has publicly floated Yarde as one of several options for Whittaker's next outing, following Whittaker's uneven win over Conor Wallace. Hearn has also mentioned a Wallace rematch and the winner of Joshua Buatsi against Willy Hutchinson as possibilities, while stressing Whittaker needs another fight before any move toward unified champion Dmitry Bivol.

Why Whittaker's Last Fight Changes the Calculus

Ben Whittaker's performance against Conor Wallace is the real reason this matchup is suddenly being discussed. Whittaker controlled the fight early with his usual speed and flash, but the later rounds exposed stamina and composure issues once he got hurt and tired. That tape is exactly why Yarde, a fighter with real championship-level mileage, looks like a live option rather than a soft voluntary. Yarde has shared the ring with Sergey Kovalev, Artur Beterbiev and David Benavidez, meaning he has absorbed the kind of sustained pressure that Wallace only hinted at. Yarde himself was careful not to oversell his chances, calling Whittaker "fantastic over six rounds" and saying he would take the fight seriously rather than treat it as an easy step up for the bigger name.

What This Means for the Betting Markets

For bettors, this is a matchup worth watching even though nothing is signed. Whittaker would likely still open as the favorite given his profile and amateur pedigree, but the gap would be tighter than markets have priced him in previous fights, since Yarde brings real finishing power and experience fighting into the later rounds, precisely where Whittaker looked human against Wallace. If Hearn goes this route instead of a Wallace rematch, expect the number on Whittaker to shrink compared to what it would be against a more limited name. Anyone pricing this fight should weigh Whittaker's conditioning questions heavily, since Yarde has shown he can still be dangerous in fights he ultimately loses on the scorecards.

None of this is official yet. Yarde's version of events describes past discussions, not a current rejection by Whittaker's team, and Hearn naming him as an option is not the same as a signed bout. Whittaker's next fight remains unconfirmed as Hearn weighs the Yarde fight against a Wallace rematch or matching Whittaker with the Buatsi-Hutchinson winner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Anthony Yarde and Ben Whittaker agree to fight?

No fight is confirmed. Anthony Yarde says he would accept a bout with Ben Whittaker immediately, and Eddie Hearn has named Yarde as one of several options for Whittaker's next fight, but nothing is signed.

Why is Ben Whittaker's next opponent in question?

Ben Whittaker struggled in the closing rounds of his win over Conor Wallace, raising questions about his conditioning, which is why Eddie Hearn is weighing options including Anthony Yarde, a Wallace rematch, or the winner of Joshua Buatsi vs. Willy Hutchinson.

What is Anthony Yarde's fighting background?

Anthony Yarde has faced elite light heavyweights including Sergey Kovalev, Artur Beterbiev and David Benavidez, giving him significantly more experience against top-level opposition than Ben Whittaker has faced so far.