George Groves: 'It is a risk facing Denis Douglin'

George Groves has admitted that he is taking a "calculated risk" by agreeing to fight Denis Douglin in Liverpool on November 22.

The British fighter is the mandatory challenger for Anthony Dirrell's WBC super-middleweight title, but he claims that he is eager to improve his form with a bout on the undercard of the meeting between Nathan Cleverly and Tony Bellew.

"I'm looking forward to getting back in the ring," Groves told reporters. "This is a chance for me to impress on a big card. I plan to steal the show. It's a calculated risk, lose this fight and I lose my shot at Dirrell. But I want to stay active, I want to box as regularly as possible and I'm confident I can get the job done.

"I've good memories of fighting at the Echo Arena. It's been a happy hunting ground for me in the past. I fought my third professional fight there against Paul Samuels and I picked up a lot of fans in Liverpool that night. They're a lively bunch and I hope to bump into a few of them when I'm back in November."

Groves won the WBC silver super-middleweight title with a unanimous points victory over Christopher Rebrasse in September.