Former long-reigning heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is gearing up for a productive 2026.

‘The Bronze Bomber’ made his long-awaited return to action back in June when he stopped countryman Tyrrell Herndon in the seventh round of their clash at the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas.

The 40-year-old from Alabama had reportedly been on the verge of retiring from the sport after he suffered consecutive defeats to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, but the former WBC heavyweight champion has set his sights on pushing towards becoming a two-time heavyweight champion next year.

JUST IN: Negotiation Details: Why Anthony Joshua Could Replace Davis in Fight with Jake Paul

Speaking to renowned livestreamer N3on recently, Wilder revealed that he has signed a contract for a fight that is set to take place in January, as he claims he is looking forward to a ‘big year’.

“I do have something coming up. We’re looking in January. I’ve signed the contract already. I can’t [give] no details at this point, but it’s definitely live. It’s gonna happen. I got a big year next year, I’m looking forward to it … all I can say is two-time. Let’s go.”

It remains to be seen exactly who Wilder’s next opponent will be however, considering Ukrainian superstar Oleksandr Usyk currently holds all four of the major world heavyweight titles.

Reports have suggested that ‘The Bronze Bomber’ could be in line to face former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou next, although it is also being speculated that he could be pursuing a long-awaited showdown with two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, who is gearing up to make his return to action as well.

Any of these big nights under the lights is likely to come after this January return, which manager Shelly Finkel has said will happen ‘overseas.’