DeGale confident ahead of fight

Venue: MEN Arena, Manchester Date: Saturday 18 July Start: From 2130 BST Coverage: Commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sport website, live on Sky Box Office

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DeGale has recovered from a low-key first professional bout

Olympic middleweight champion James DeGale believes he is getting used to life as a professional as he prepares for his third bout on Saturday.

The Londoner takes on Northern Ireland's Ciaran Healey on the undercard of Amir Khan's world title bout at the MEN Arena.

"I'm settling down nicely and looking forward to this one," said DeGale.

Also in action are Beijing Olympian Billy Joe Saunders and world amateur lightweight champion Frankie Gavin.

Both are hoping to maintain their unbeaten records with middleweight Saunders taking on Matt Scriven while Gavin, who missed the Olympics after failing to make the weight for his category, is up against York's Graham Fearn at welterweight.

DeGale had a difficult start to life as a pro and was booed by sections of the crowd on his debut as he was taken to 12 rounds by little-known Georgian Vepkhia Tchilaia.

But the 23-year-old thinks he is beginning to justify his decision to sign with promoter Frank Warren last December.

"Obviously the first fight hurt a bit, a couple of boos, but I came back in my second fight and proved my critics wrong.

"Training's gone fantastic," continued DeGale. "I'm boxing someone with a half-and-half record but I'm feeling good and if I can't beat the Ciaran Healeys of this world, I'm not going nowhere.

"I'm feeling fresh, feeling nice and I can't wait for Saturday."

Also on the undercard, Kell Brook defends his British welterweight title against Michael Lomax, while Anthony Small and Matthew Hall contest the British and Commonwealth light-middleweight belts.

In addition, Enzo Maccarinelli looks to bounce back from defeat by Ola Afolabi when he takes on Russia's Denis Lebedev.