By Vadim Pushkin

BoxingScene.com has been advised that heavyweight contender Kubrat Pulev (23-1, 14 KOs) will likely face former WBC world champion Samuel Peter (36-5, 29 KOs) on December 3 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Pulev is ranked at number 2 under the IBF and stands in position for a mandatory shot at the sanctioning body's heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (17-0, 17 KOs), who returns on December 10th in the Manchester Arena. The frontrunner to face Joshua on the date is Eric Molina.

Pulev is taking the match as a stay busy bout. If Pulev loses, obviously, he will lose his position with the IBF.

As BoxingScene previously reported, 36-year-old Peter snuck in a ring return on October 23rd in Tijuana, Mexico. As part of a small event on Sunday, Peter stopped Juan Carlos Salas (6-10) in three rounds.

It was Peter's first fight since September of 2014, when he stopped Ron Augrey in the first round. And the fourth time that Peter has fought in Mexico. He captured the WBC title in Mexico, when he knocked out Oleg Maskaev in 2008, and then he fought twice in Mexico in 2009.

Peter's reign as champion didn't last long. He was stopped in eight rounds later that same year by a returning Vitali Klitschko. Peter then lost his following fight, in a bit of an upset at the time, by way of a majority decision to Eddie Chambers. He then picked up four easy wins, before suffering back to back knockout defeats - both in Germany - to Wladimir Klitschko and Robert Helenius.

For his ring return, Peter weighed in at 261.5-pounds. That was the third highest weight of his career, but it was 30 pounds less than his last fight two years ago, when he came in at 291. He weighed 265 when he lost against Chambers in 2009. Peter fought at his best, as seen in his first fight with Wladimir Klitschko and the rematch with James Toney, when he weighed in within the 240s.

For Pulev, this will be his first fight since winning a twelve round split decision over Dereck Chisora back in May.