By Elliot Foster 

John Wayne Hibbert has his next fight pencilled in –– with an opponent to boot.

The WBC International super lightweight champion, 16-3 (10), will return to the ring in the new year, facing Tommy Martin live on Sky Sports.

Hibbert is set to defend his Commonwealth crown –– which he won after Dave Ryan securing a 10-round stoppage of former champion Dave Ryan in his last fight at the O2 Arena in London –– as part of a card being built by Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Sport for January.

Martin, who recently signed a management deal with Daniel Kinahan and MGM Marbella, is just 22 years old and has already won the national title as a pro, while also picking up the vacant WBA Continental prize in his last outing when he stopped Luton’s Michael Devine inside 10 rounds in September.

An exact date and venue for the card as a whole, plus further fights, will be revealed in due course.

Elliot Foster is part of the BoxingScene UK family. Follow Elliot on Twitter: @FreelanceFoz