Dillian Whyte has branded Dave Allen 'a mosquito' after the Yorkshire heavyweight challenged him over social media.
The British Boxing Board of Control ordered Whyte (16-1-KO13) to face Hughie Fury for the vacant British title but after the latter was forced to decline due to health issues, Allen (9-0-1-KO8) immediately expressed a desire to step in.
London's Whyte underwent surgery in the wake of his dramatic clash with Anthony Joshua in December and is set to return to action on the undercard of Joshua's maiden world title defence against Dominic Breazeale on June 25 - live on Sky Sports Box Office.
With a clash against Allen looming as a possibility for later in the year, Whyte told Sky Sports: "Dave Allen is like a mosquito. He's just flying around and is hungry for a bit of blood.
"Fair play to him though - he wants to try and fight the best guys in the division, so what can I say?
"I'll fight anybody. Allen doesn't need to call me out. If he wants to have a tear-up, I'll have a tear-up with him.
"He's a nobody but fair play, he's trying to create a bit of buzz around him. If he wants it, he can have it.
"That guy is a walk in the park for me. I'm coming off a massive shoulder surgery so I'm going to do the smart thing and have a couple of warm-up fights first and then if he wants it, he can have it. I don't care.
"I want to fight the top guys. I will do what I've got to do. I want to fight the top guys in the division and in the world."
Allen was last seen when stopping awkward late-replacement Jason Gavern in Sheffield back in March.