Whyte lost his only world title bid to Tyson Fury in 2022 and has struggled for consistency in recent years.
Whether he can turn back the clock remains to be seen. He weighed 18st 9lb (118.38kg) during a lacklustre win over Ebenezer Tetteh last December.
But eight months on, he appears in the best shape of recent years and wore a grim, serious look as he took to the stage.
He is at his lightest since his win over Marcelo Nascimento in 2015.
With 31 wins from 34 fights, Whyte insists he still harbours world title ambitions. A defeat by Itauma would all but end those hopes.
Itauma has also slimmed down for his toughest test to date, weighing nine pounds lighter than at his previous fight – a destructive second-round stoppage of Mike Balogun in May.
A win on Saturday would edge Itauma closer to a world title shot. The Slovakia-born fighter is seen by many as the future face of British heavyweight boxing.
“I just want to get to the easy bit, the fight,” Itauma said.
With Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua nearing the twilight of their careers, Itauma has been tipped as their potential successor on the global stage.
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