Deontay Wilder
Getty Images

Deontay Wilder believes his upcoming opponent Luis Ortiz could fail another drug test before their hotly-anticipated bout on 3 March but is confident the undefeated Cuban will "turn up clean" in New York.

Wilder was due to go toe-to-toe with Ortiz in November last year but the bout was cancelled in September after the 38-year-old tested positive for two banned diuretics, which he insists were to help his blood pressure.

'The Bronze Bomber' eventually had to fight last-minute substitute Bermane Stiverne and unsurprisingly proved too much for the former WBC Champion, dismantling him in the first round to retain the belt he snatched from the inactive 39-year-old with consummate ease.

Wilder, who successfully sued Alexander Povetkin after the Russian failed a drugs test ahead of their scheduled bout in 2016, is hopeful of finally stepping in the ring for a clean fight against opponent perceived to be the toughest of his career so far, but his concerns over Ortiz and his past failings still remain.

"That [Ortiz failing another drugs test] could happen," Wilder told ESPN. "That's a possibility. We always say once a cheat, always a cheat, and that'll always carry with him. But that's gonna be up to Luis Ortiz.

"I think Luis Ortiz is a smart guy and I think he's gonna do the right thing up until this point. If he don't, it'll be shame on him to put people through so much stress, so much pain, like it was the first time. It's ridiculous that we still have to be talking about this still, at this point in time, with drugs and cheating and stuff."

While the current WBC Champion seemingly still harbours concerns over Ortiz, who was lucky to avoid a ban for failing to disclose he had taken banned substances chlorothiazide and hydrochlorothiazide for his blood pressure, Wilder is confident that 'King Kong' will not make the same mistake twice.

"I think he's gonna do the right thing," he added. "With that being said, I'm not worried about it. I'm confident in him, that he's gonna turn up clean and he's gonna give a great performance on the night of that fight, and we're all gonna be winners at the end of the night."