Derek Chisora offers to face Dillian Whyte after Alexander Povetkin hospitalised with coronavirus

Promoter Eddie Hearn confirms Povetkin has been diagnosed with coronavirus and is out of the 21 November bout

Chisora is keen to fight Whyte for a third time (Matchroom)

Derek Chisora has offered to replace Alexander Povetkin and fight Dillian Whyte for a third time on short notice.

The anticipated rematch between Whyte and Povetkin on 21 November is off after the Russian tested positive for Covid-19.

The proposed date for the fight to be rescheduled is on 30 January, but promoter Eddie Hearn has been thrown a lifeline to save the pay-per-view card after conversations with Chisora.

The British heavyweight lost to Oleksandr Usyk on points last weekend but despite less than three weeks until Whyte was due to face Povetkin for a second time, Chisora insists is “ready to rock and roll”. 

“Do you want to give me that fight? I'll take that,” Chisora told Hearn on Instagram. “Want to give it to me? I have no bruises, I’m ready to rock and roll.

“It's all about making history, think about it, let me know and I'll take it.”

The offer came less than an hour after Hearn confirmed the fight was off due to Povetkin contracting the disease.

Hearn said: “Unfortunately we got the news today that Alexander Povetkin is in hospital after testing positive for Covid-19.

“The fight will now be rescheduled to a target date of 30 January. An announcement on our 21 November show will be made shortly.”

He added: “Firstly we want to wish Alexander Povetkin a speedy recovery. This is a challenging time for shows. There will be lots of ups and downs over the next few months. We look forward to the fight happening in late January.”

Whyte suffered a brutal shock defeat against Povetkin on 22 August, which saw the Briton slump to only the second defeat of his professional career, nearly five years after his loss to Anthony Joshua.

The 32-year-old had been leading the bout up until the fifth round, having knocked Povetkin down twice in the fourth, but found himself knocked out cold by a stunning uppercut that turned the fight on its head.