Great Britain's Anthony Joshua will defend his IBF world heavyweight belt against Eric Molina on December 10 at the Manchester Arena.

"I'm expecting this to be the toughest fight of my career so far and I will be ready for an all-out war," said Joshua.

Joshua’s proposed fight with Wladimir Klitschko at London's 02 Arena pencilled in for the same date was called off after the Ukrainian suffered injury.

But the London fighter's promoter Eddie Hearn said the bout was already set to fall through simply because six weeks was too short a period to stage such a prestigious bout.

Joshua and Klitschko had reportedly agreed basic terms on a unification bout before the former world champion pulled out.

Hearn was also unsure if the WBA belt vacated by fellow Brit Tyson Fury would be on the line in such a fight.

Joshua is unbeaten in 17 fights, and faces a dangerous American opponent in Molina, who lost his bid to dethrone WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder last year.

Molina won 25 out of his 28 fights, 19 by KO, and stopped former world champion Tomasz Ademek in his last fight in April.

 

Manchester, are you ready? #AJBoxing 💥💥 pic.twitter.com/018EmypiqR

— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyfjoshua) November 1, 2016

 

“There is no heavyweight in the world that has bounced back like I have,” said Molina. “That’s the man that Joshua faces on December 10 and that man is a very dangerous one.

 "He’ll fight the toughest Molina that anybody has ever seen, just like Adamek fought the toughest Molina."

“I’m confident. These type of fights don’t shake me up, I’m a very strong mental fighter. I know exactly what I’ve got to do to prepare myself in the amount of time. I know exactly what I’ve got to do, mentally, physically, to go there and perform.

"When you walk out into the atmosphere, half the battle is the mental battle, and if you can stay in the moment mentally you have a shot in any fight.”

Joshua defended his IBF belt for the first time with a seventh-round KO of Dominic Breazeale in June.

"I saw Molina have a great fight with Wilder and he is now coming off a strong knockout win against Tomasz Adamek in Poland," said Joshua.

Klitschko - who has not fought since losing his WBA Super, WBO and IBF titles to Fury on points a year ago in Dusseldorf - apparently remains keen to fight Joshua in the Spring when he is back to full health.

Dillian Whyte will defend his British heavyweight title against fellow Londoner Dereck Chisoia on the same card in an official eliminator for a crack at Wilder's WBC title.