WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has fired back at mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte.

Wilder will make the next defense of his title on February 22nd in a rematch with Tyson Fury at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Whyte, who is likely going to fight again in April, holds the WBC's interim version of the title. The winner of the upcoming Wilder-Fury rematch has to face Whyte by February of next year.

Whyte has been the number one contender since 2018, but for whatever reason he's been passed over several times by the sanctioning body.

And he's been very frustrated with the extended wait to get a mandatory title shot.

"[Wilder is a] coward. Chicken. Yellow-livered hillbilly. It would be a tough fight because he is quite agile with awkward movement. I would expect a tough fight but I believe I can knock Wilder out," Whyte told Sky Sports.

"People might laugh but I believe I can get to him, and knock him out. It wouldn't be a fight where I would jab my way in. I'd run at him in the first round and start brawling and, if I get chinned, then so be it."

Wilder is fully focused on Fury at the moment, but took a moment to fire back at some of Whyte's comments.

“Every poodle has his day. With a poodle, they’re not dangerous at all so they’re mostly off their leash. We gonna let him stay off his leash for a little bit and let the poodle continue to bark, do what he do and try to steal clout," Wilder told ThaBoxingVoice.

“No one cares about Dillian Whyte. Dillian Whyte is definitely not important in my life at this moment in time, but when that time comes, be careful what you ask for.”