DeGale beat Emilio Correa of Cuba in his Olympic final in Beijing

Olympic gold medallist James DeGale will make his professional debut against Georgian Vepkhia Tchilaia.

Middleweight DeGale faces the 21-year-old from Tblisi at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham on 28 February.

Olympic team-mates Frankie Gavin and Billy Joe Saunders will fight George Kadaria, also of Georgia, and Hungarian Attila Molnar respectively.

Topping the bill will be Matt Skelton, defending his Commonwealth heavyweight title against Martin Rogan.

I boxed a few Eastern Europeans when I was an amateur and did well against them, but they are always tough James DeGale

Londoner DeGale, 23, said: "Training has been going brilliantly, but I've had an extra edge since I've known who I will be facing.

"I boxed a few Eastern Europeans when I was an amateur and did well against them, but they are always tough and I know Tchilaia will come to fight."

Lightweight Gavin was a gold medal prospect for Beijing but had to fly home from the Team GB training camp in Macau after failing to make his weight.

The bill will also feature Commonwealth super-flyweight champion Don Broadhurst who will make the first defence of his belt on home soil against former British title holder Andy Bell.

Skelton's European title will not be up for grabs as his camp have not made it available.

606: DEBATE What can James DeGale achieve in the professional ranks?

The 37-year-old cabbie from Belfast won the heavyweight Prizefighter tournament last year and is unbeaten in 11 professional fights.

Skelton is four years his senior but is determined to rebuild his career after unsuccessfully challenging Ruslan Chagaev for the WBA title last year.

"Rogan is a dangerous fighter and I was impressed by the way in which he dug deep against Harrison," said Skelton, who turned professional in 2002.

"Anyone with an undefeated record is a threat because they don't know how to lose. But I believe I will win this fight.

"When I lost to Chagaev people asked me whether I would quit, but I feel better than ever and I think that I'm still improving."

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