British heavyweight Lawrence Okolie has taken to Instagram to mock rival Dillian Whyte.
Okolie was scheduled to face Richard Riakporhe on the undercard of Joe Joyce and Filip Hrgovic but withdrew due to injury. The fight between Joe Joyce and Filip Hrgovic, which Dillian Whyte was originally slated to be part of, did proceed on April 5, 2025. Whyte had also withdrawn from his bout with injury, a finger injury, leading to Hrgovic stepping in as a late replacement to face Joyce.
He’s since taken to social media to send jibes towards Whyte on his 37th birthday, mocking ‘The Body Snatcher’ about his latest fights and previous accusations of taking performance enhancing substances.
Lawrence Okolie Hits Out At Dillian Whyte’s Career
Both Okolie and Whyte have openly spoken about their dislike for one another over recent years and this latest spat could see the pair meet in the squared circle.
The duo were meant to appear on the same card on April 5th when Whyte was set to face Joe Joyce but also withdrew from his bout with injury.
The social media post read: “Although we’ve had our differences in the past I’d like to wish Dillian Whyte a happy birthday and peaceful retirement.”
“He’s been a great ambassador for the sport and proves being juiced off your tits isn’t a recipe for success.”
“It’s inspiring to see him leave the sport on a high after his recent PPV show against Tetteh and Hammer.”
“I truly believe those are the kind of shows that shaped the landscape of boxing into what it is today and encouraged powerhouses like Riyadh Season and TKO to enter boxing.”
Whyte replied to the comment with a simple response, “Well done my son you are learning.”
Okolie also shared sparring footage of him and Whyte in an attempt to make the fight.
The veteran heavyweight has been critical in the past of Okolie being unable to sell fights and suggesting he has failed in being financially successful during his career.
This latest stunt from the former two-weight world champion may garner interest from British boxing fans to see the pair settle their differences once and all in the ring.
Fighters’ Recent Form and Career Trajectories
Lawrence Okolie, known as “The Sauce,” has had a dynamic career, transitioning through weight classes. He previously held the WBO cruiserweight title from 2021 to 2023 and the WBC bridgerweight title in 2024. Okolie made his heavyweight debut on December 7, 2024, securing a first-round knockout victory over Hussein Muhamed at Wembley Arena, becoming the WBC Silver champion in the process. Following this, he defeated Kevin Lerena by unanimous decision on July 19, 2025, at Wembley Stadium. Okolie continued his winning streak by defeating Ebenezer Tetteh on December 21, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria, with Tetteh retiring at the end of the second round. As of April 2026, Okolie was scheduled to face Tony Yoka.
Dillian Whyte, “The Body Snatcher,” has a professional record of 31 wins, 4 losses, and 0 draws, with 21 of his wins coming by knockout. Whyte has faced previous accusations of taking performance-enhancing substances, notably a two-year ban from 2012 to 2014 for methylhexaneamine (MHA) and a more recent adverse analytical finding in 2023 which led to the cancellation of a rematch with Anthony Joshua. In his recent outings, Whyte stopped Christian Hammer in the third round on March 17, 2024. He then defeated Ebenezer Tetteh via technical knockout in the seventh round on December 15, 2024, in Gibraltar. However, Whyte suffered a first-round technical knockout loss to Moses Itauma on August 16, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Cancelled Bouts and the Joyce-Hrgovic Outcome
The original article mentioned Okolie’s withdrawal from a fight against Richard Riakporhe. Riakporhe has since had several fights, including a TKO victory over Kevin Nicolas Espindola on May 3, 2025, a TKO win against Tommy Welch on November 15, 2025, and a TKO victory over Jeamie TKV on April 11, 2026, to win the British Heavyweight title. There is no indication that the Okolie vs. Riakporhe fight has been rescheduled or occurred.
The undercard fight between Joe Joyce and Filip Hrgovic, from which Dillian Whyte withdrew due to a finger injury, took place on April 5, 2025, in Manchester. Filip Hrgovic defeated Joe Joyce by unanimous decision with judges’ scores of 97-93, 96-95, and 98-92. This fight saw both men enter on the back of defeats, with Joyce having lost to Derek Chisora and Hrgovic to Daniel Dubois. Hrgovic improved his record to 18-1-0, while Joyce’s record fell to 16-4-0, marking his fourth loss in his last five fights. The bout was a slugfest, with Hrgovic sustaining a cut above his left eye from a clash of heads early on, and Joyce’s right eye swelling in the fourth round. Hrgovic’s victory earned him the WBO International heavyweight title.
Implications for the Heavyweight Division
The social media exchange between Okolie and Whyte highlights an ongoing rivalry that has yet to culminate in a fight. Despite the verbal jabs and Okolie sharing sparring footage, a professional bout between the two has not materialized. However, there have been discussions and offers for the two to fight. In November 2025, Dillian Whyte was offered a fight against Lawrence Okolie, potentially in Nigeria, with Amir Khan stating there was “bad blood between the pair of them” and that fans had been calling for the fight. At that time, Okolie was ranked number one with the WBC, a belt Whyte had long pursued. The proposed fight was seen as a “lifeline” for Whyte to get back into heavyweight title contention following his loss to Moses Itauma. As of May 2026, Box.Live indicates that Dillian Whyte “could fight Lawrence Okolie in Summer 2026” in the United Kingdom, scheduled for 12 rounds in the Heavyweight division. Okolie is currently ranked number 2 by the WBC in the Heavyweight division.
Okolie’s consistent activity and progression into the heavyweight division, coupled with his two-weight world champion status at cruiserweight and bridgerweight, positions him as a significant contender. His aim is to become a three-weight world champion by capturing a heavyweight title. Whyte, despite his recent loss to Itauma, remains a recognizable name in the heavyweight landscape, and a fight against Okolie would undoubtedly generate considerable interest among British boxing fans. The outcome of such a contest would have clear implications for the rankings and future title aspirations within the competitive heavyweight division.
