Khan 'Amir' of the ring

Beats Oisin Fagan in round two to clinch int'l lightweight title:

Amir Khan clinched the vacant WBA international lightweight title on Saturday with a second-round stoppage of Ireland's Oisin Fagan. Referee Mickey Vann stepped in to end proceedings after one minute and 37 seconds of the round.

The victory was Khan's 19th in 20 fights and restored the 2004 Olympic silver medallist's reputation which had been so badly damaged by his 54-second loss to Colombia's Breidis Prescott in September.

That was the sixth time the 21-year-old had been knocked down and raised doubts over his ability to challenge for a major belt.

"I knew where I went wrong against Breidis Prescott," Khan told Sky Sports.

"Fagan is a fighter who doesn't go down. Look at his record, I don't think anyone has done that to him. My team told me to pace myself, not to go for the knockout, that it would come itself. That's what I did.

"I said whoever I was going to fight, that I was going to be the worst opponent they can have.

"I was a bit more nervous than normal but I was relaxed and chilled out."

Earlier, Welshman Enzo Maccarinelli made an explosive heavyweight debut when a series of vicious body shots blasted Mathew Ellis into submission in the second round. Maccarinelli's planned WBO world cruiserweight title clash with Francisco Alvarez fell through when the Puerto Rican failed a medical but Ellis stepped in on Friday.

Audley Harrison's world title aspirations were left in tatters after Belfast taxi driver Martin Rogan edged their heavyweight clash with a points decision over the 2000 Olympic gold medallist.

London, Sunday, AFP