Unbeaten former middleweight champion Dmitry Pirog is set to end four years in the boxing wilderness and return to action.
The Russian (20-0-KO15) last fought in May 2012 when he made the third defence of his WBO title by easily outpointing Nobuhiro Ishida in Moscow.
Following that, a debilitating back injury forced him into premature retirement, but over the past few months the 35-year-old has issued positive bulletins over his attempts to return.
He said: "Watching everyone compete makes me hungrier every day to return. 2016 return..."
Pirog announced himself as a world class operator in 2010 when he stunned Las Vegas with a fifth-round stoppage of Daniel Jacobs, who is now WBA world champion.
While a rematch with Jacobs would be a possible target for a fully-fit Pirog, many would bill his renaissance as a challenge to middleweight kingpin Gennady Golovkin (34-0-KO31), who holds the WBA Super, IBF and interim WBC title.
The WBO belt injury forced Pirog to vacate is now held by Billy Joe Saunders, with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez having recently become WBC holder by beating Miguel Cotto.
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