Chris Eubank Jr

George Groves' WBA super-middleweight title defence against Chris Eubank Jr will take place at the Manchester Arena in February with an exact date to be confirmed.

The champion, from London, had hoped their highly-anticipated World Boxing Super Series semi-final would take place in the capital, potentially at one of its football stadiums.

The series' promoters have now said he will instead return to the Manchester Arena for the first time since one of his finest performances in his first fight with Carl Froch, in 2013, when he dropped the then-defending champion and outboxed him before the controversial late stoppage.

Brighton's Eubank Jr faces his most dangerous fight to date, but like Groves - who made the first defence of his title by stopping Jamie Cox in four rounds at Wembley Arena last month - impressed during the competition's quarter-final stage.

The 28-year-old travelled to Germany, where he defeated Avni Yildirim of Turkey via knockout in the third round, and will fight for a recognised world title for the first time.

A mutual rival of Eubank Jnr and the 29-year-old Groves, IBF champion James DeGale, returns to the ring against America's Caleb Truax on December 9 and has spoken of his desire to fight the WBSS' overall winner.

Fellow Briton Callum Smith is scheduled to fight Germany's Jurgen Braehmer in the other semi-final, on a date and location that is still to be confirmed.