Heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte is not expecting to secure a mandatory crack at WBC world champion Deontay Wilder.

He believes Wilder will request the WBC's controversial status of "franchise champion."

Earlier this year, the WBC crowned their first franchise champion in Canelo Alvarez, and more recently crowned Vasiliy Lomachenko as a franchise champion.

Once a WBC world champion is presented with the status of being a franchise champion - they are no longer obligated to make mandatory defenses. What's more absurd is WBC's rule that the franchise champion is not able to transfer his status in defeat. 

On Wednesday, Whyte reclaimed his position as the WBC's mandatory challenger and interim-champion.

The winner of Wilder's upcoming rematch with Tyson Fury, set for February of 2020, has a deadline of February 2021 to satisfy the mandatory order to face Whyte.

Back in July, Whyte's mandatory status was provisionally suspended by the WBC over a positive drug test in connection with the July decision win over Oscar Rivas. Whyte had tested positive for two metabolites of a banned substance.

UK Anti-Doping, who administered the test in question, investigated the matter for several months and officially cleared Whyte on December 6th. UKAD stated it was their belief, based on the evidence presented, that Whyte's positive test was the result of contamination.

Whyte returned to the ring last Saturday night in Saudi Arabia, and won a ten round decision over veteran Mariusz Wach.

But the British boxer is not holding his breath on receiving a title shot, at least against Wilder.

Whyte has been the number 1 contender in their rankings for at least two years - and he was controversially stepped in 2018, when the sanctioning body order number 2 ranked Dominic Breazeale to face Eric Molina in a final eliminator.

If Wilder becomes the franchise champion, then Whyte, as the interim-beltholder, would become the full world champion.

"Now I'm back he will definitely move up to 'franchise' world champion," Whyte said about Wilder to Sky Sports.

"I want to fight Deontay Wilder. I've wanted to fight him for a long time, I still want to fight him, but he doesn't want to fight me. It's clear he doesn't want to fight me. I just want to become world champion. Wilder will move to 'franchise' champion so I might become world champion soon anyway.

"I've spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on the WBC. I've been loyal to them by fighting back-to-back top 10 contenders. I've fought more top contenders than their champion!"