The undefeated Uzbekistan fighter is the WBA’s ’Champion in Recess’ having been unable to defend his belt against Nikolai Valuev last summer due to an Achilles tendon injury.

Chagaev (24-0, 17 KO) last fought when beating Matt Skelton back in January 2008 by unanimous decision, but is now targeting current champion Valuev, who claimed a hard-fought victory over Evander Holyfield in August, once he’s finished with Carl Davis Drumond in Rostock on February 7.

Drumond (26-0, 20 KOs) is relatively unknown outside of his native Costa Rica but a confident Chagaev admits he can take nothing for granted.

"It is one year since my last fight, so I am very motivated for this fight," said the 30-year-old from his training camp in Hamburg.

"From now on I want to have fight after fight; I can’t wait for the next tasks. First, I will beat Drumond. He is a strong man and I must be careful. But he wants to knock me out?

"That’s a joke, isn’t it? Nobody can knock me out. Sorry, Carl. This fight will be a big surprise for you.

"Than I will show who the real champ is by beating Valuev for the second time. Then I want to unify all of the belts. I want to fight the Klitschkos. I respect them for what they’ve reached in the heavyweight division, but I know then very well and I can beat them. 2009 will be my year."

Chagaev remains the only man to have beaten Valuev (50-1, KO34) when edging a mixed decision triumph over the ’Russian Giant’ in April 2007.