David Haye will fight Tony Bellew in the heavyweight division on 4 March at the O2 Arena, it has been announced.

Bellew called out fellow Briton Haye last month after defending his WBC cruiserweight title against BJ Flores, a fight which he weighed in at 199-pounds. David Haye, who fought Mark de Mori and Arnold Gjergjaj earlier this year at weights over 224-pounds – his first two fights since taking a three-and-a-half year hiatus from the sport. A press conference has been scheduled at the O2 next Wednesday 30 November to promote the fight.

Haye has previously unified the cruiserweight division before, in 2008, and went on to become WBA world heavyweight champion.

According to former WBO heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs, he had a contractual agreement to face Haye in December - and says the British boxer ran from the fight.

Haye (28-2, 26KOs) and Briggs (60-6-1, 53KOs) were both in action on May 21 at the O2 Arena in London, when they picked up easy knockout wins against overmatched opponents. The show as used a tool to hype up a Haye-Briggs showdown for the fall.

Prior that event, Haye promised Briggs a fight in the fall - if the veteran fought on his undercard and got a big knockout win.

Haye has been inactive for several years and only had three rounds rounds of non-competitive fighting since knocking out Dereck Chisora in 2012. He snapped his layoff in January of this year.

The two fighters had a near confrontation in July, when Briggs attempted to approach Haye at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Both fighters were in the building to sit ringside for Leo Santa Cruz vs. Carl Frampton.

"David Feathers has turned down a fight with me for the WBA heavyweight championship belt to fight a cruiserweight that I've honestly on mom's never heard of until he called out Feather Face a few months ago," Briggs on social media.

"Feathers will tell you and the press that this fight was already made but this is a lie. He secretly went behind Frank Warren back and signed the fight to avoid fighting me. He a bitch down to his last chromosome. Yes it's true this is the fight that I ultimately wanted besides [Klitschko] because it's a big money fight."

"The money would have been ten times bigger than the few million he's getting to fight with his lil buddy that no one knows. To turn down a heavyweight title shot is a slap in the face to boxing itself. We work our entire lives to reach the highest place in the sport - the title. He's milking what lil name he has left for dancing shoes because apparently that's his next move. A dancing reality show."

"I'll be suing him for what he did. Yes I have a contract from him but I laid low to let it play out. My attorney will be bringing his weak ass promotional company down. Champ you'll be paying me for wasting my time and walking away from millions of dollars. All because you scared. Because your heart weak. It ain't fully developed. You need to go see the Wizard of OZ. Sad thing is behind the curtain there is no wizard. He gonna tell y'all some lies so get ready. Look at him, piece of sh*t."