Dillian Whyte has labelled heavyweight rival Deontay Wilder an ‘idiot’ after the American split with his long-term trainer Mark Breland.

Breland, who has been with Wilder since his professional debut, threw in the towel in the seventh round of The Bronze Bomber’s fight with Tyson Fury earlier this year after he had been dropped twice.

The former welterweight champion was widely praised for his decision to put a halt to the bout, but Wilder has now decided to axe him from his team for the trilogy fight against Fury, instead sticking with co-trainer Jay Deas.

And Whyte feels the move is one the ex-WBC heavyweight champion will live to regret.

"I think it's the worst mistake he's ever made, because Mark Breland is the only person in his team that actually was a boxer and was actually a world champion. He was the only person that didn't care about money or fame," he told Sky Sports.

"Someone who was actually from an emotional point, someone who understands, thinking about his health and did the right thing by throwing the towel in, because he could have got seriously hurt.

"He was getting hit with punches that weren't knocking him out, they were concussing him. Mark Breland knows what it's like, because Mark Breland has been in the same position Wilder was in. He's someone that cares about the athlete and the boxing side of things.

"Not just 'Bomb Squad', nonsense. He doesn't care about that. He's the only one in the team, you don't see him running around and shouting and screaming. He's just a little quiet guy, does his job.

"Deontay Wilder is an idiot, he clearly can't see it. Good luck to him, it's his team, he can do whatever he wants. But I think it's a bad mistake. Mark Breland is the only one that knows boxing in his team."

Promoter Bob Arum is hoping Wilder-Fury III can happen at the end of 2020, but if a crowd cannot attend due to the coronavirus pandemic then that date could be pushed back to next year.

The loss to Fury was the American’s first in 44 fights after the pair drew their initial clash back in December 2018.