Tyson Fury announced a social media blackout so he can give Dillian Whyte “all the respect he deserves” ahead of an anticipated world heavyweight title contest between the British rivals.

Whyte had until 6am on Tuesday to sign a contract to face WBC champion Fury, whose co-promoter Frank Warren won the purse bids in December for the bout with a record 41million US dollars (£30million) offer.

It was rumoured Whyte was seeking a renegotiation to increase his share of the split as he is entitled to just 20 per cent of the purse, but the 33-year-old Londoner put pen to paper hours before the deadline, according to Fury.

Dillian Whyte has been the WBC's mandatory challenger for several years (Nick Potts/PA)
Dillian Whyte has been the WBC’s mandatory challenger for several years (Nick Potts/PA)

Fury, who claimed the WBC title by stopping Deontay Wilder in February 2020 and made his first defence by knocking out the American last October, has been goading his mandatory challenger on social media for several weeks.

And the 33-year-old WBC champion said in an Instagram story on Tuesday morning: “Oh my God. Dillian Whyte’s signed his contract for 8million dollars. What a surprise!

“An absolute idiot. Should this even be a talking point? The man signed, for the biggest pay-day he’s ever going to get in his life.”

Fury (31-0-1, 22KOs) suspects the reason for Whyte’s delay may have been some mental ploy to unnerve the self-styled Gypsy King ahead of a blockbuster bout that has been reported to be pencilled in for April 23 at Wembley.

He added in a sarcastic American accent: “Oh my God, my head hurts from all the mind-games that Dillian Whyte’s been playing on me. Oh my God. I’m so sore. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. My training camp’s a mess.”

Fury, who has not fought on UK soil since outpointing Francesco Pianeta at Windsor Park in Belfast in August 2018, struck a more respectful tone as he confirmed he will take a break from social media to focus on Whyte.

He said in a video on Twitter: “I’m about to go off social media for the next eight and a half weeks, I’m going to go into training camp to give Dillian Whyte all the respect in the world that he needs.

“I’ll never underestimate anybody in my life and I’ll give this man all the respect he deserves coming as the number one-ranked WBC heavyweight challenger in the world.

“Don’t phone me, call me, email me, text me or try to contact me in any single way as I am out of bounds until May. I will see you all at the press conference. I’ll be training away, please appreciate my privacy and space.”

Whyte (28-2, 19KOs) has kept his counsel in response to Fury’s barbs in recent weeks and is yet to make any announcement on the fight. He last fought 11 months ago, avenging a shock defeat to Russia’s Alexander Povetkin.