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28 March 2024

Amir Khan vs Luis Collazo: British star wins by unanimous decision

Published
By Boxing Correspondent and Agencies

British star Amir Khan won a unanimous decision over former champion Luis Collazo in his first fight after moving up to the welterweight division on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Khan, who was fighting for the first time after a 12-month layoff, knocked Collazo down three times in the non-title fight at the MGM Grand Hotel.

Khan looked impressive in the 147-pound (67 kg) division debut, winning on all three judges' scorecards.

Two judges scored it 119-104 while the other had it 117-106.

Khan knocked Collazo down for the first time in the fourth round and then twice in the 10th round.

Khan, a former light welterweight world champion, weighed 161 pounds when he stepped into the ring on Saturday, 14 pounds over his weight at Friday's weigh-in.

Collazo weighed 16 pounds more than his 147 pound weigh-in weight.

The bout was on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather-Marcos Maidana welterweight unification title fight.

LIVE COMMENTARY

Khan wins by unanimous decision with judges scoring 117-106 119-104 119-104 in favour of the Briton who is king of the ring once again.

Round 12: Khan is down after getting a low blow as the boxers clinch. Collazo comes out swinging. Khan unleashes a combination before covering up in defence. Khan is scoring at will with his left jabs. Collazo tries to counter with his lefts but Khan manages to keep him at bay and land punches of his own.

Emirates 24|7 scores 10-9 to Khan

Round 11: Collazo has to win by a knockout but Khan tightens up his defence slipping away to either side. Collazo fights back by landing a couple of power punches.

Emirates 24|7 scores 10-9 to Khan

Round 10: Khan steps up the pace doing the leading off and scores with a flurry of combinations to take control of the round. Collazo is content to stay on the ropes as Khan attacks and drops him for the second time with one minute remaining with a couple of body shots followed by a left hook. Collazo goes down again as Khan is all over him. Khan is pummelling him at will on the ropes.

Emirates 24|7 scores 10-9 to Khan

Round 9: Khan goes on the defensive as Collazo unloads. Blood is streaming from Collazo's left eye. Khan is backpeddling as Collazo attacks with both hands landing a solid left through the middle. Khan replies with a right hand lead and finishes strongly.

Emirates 24|7 scores 10-9 to Collazo

Round 8: Collazo is warned for hitting below the belt although Khan gets away for holding. Khan is outboxing Collazo landing solid right hands. Collazo staggers Khan with a left in the final minute. Khan is also warned for holding dropping a point. Collazo comes out swinging.

Emirates 24|7 scores 9-8 to Collazo

Round 7: Collazo comes out firing with his right jabs. Khan lands a solid right to the face and slips away easily as Collazo counters. Khan beats him to the punch with his fast hands frustrating Collazo.

Emirates 24|7 scores 10-9 to Khan

Round 6: Khan catches Collazo with a right early in the round. Collazo is finally getting his range with right jabs. This is Collazo's best round by far firing more punches though Khan catches him with a right on the bell.

Emirates 24|7 scores 10-9 to Collazo

Round 5: Collazo is cautioned for a low blow. Khan cuts the distance and ties up Collazo when he tries to land the power left hand. Collazo is bobbing and weaving trying to sneak through Khan's defence. Khan finishes with a flurry of left and right combinations.

Emirates 24|7 scores 10-9 to Khan

Round 4: Khan drops him in the opening seconds of the round with a sharp right as Collazo attempts to take him on. Collazo counter attacks keeping his hands low making him an easy target for Khan's swift combinations. Collazo advances but Khan is scoring at will.



Emirates 24|7 scores 10-9 to Khan

Round 3: Khan is working with his left crosses and rights slipping away when Collazo attempts to counter. Khan is beating him to the punch easily.

Emirates 24|7 scores 10-9 to Khan

Round 2: Collazo comes out with his hands down but Khan staggers him with a right hook. Khan scores with left jabs to the face and to the body. Southpaw Collazo is looking to land his power punch but Khan is hard to catch.

Emirates 24|7 scores 10-9 to Khan

Round 1: Collazo hardly throws a punch while Khan catches him with a couple of rights and does the leading off.

Emirates 24|7 scores 10-9 for Khan

Khan from Bolton is fighting in the welterweight for the first time.

Collazo is the former welterweight champion of the world from Brooklyn.

The 12 rounds of boxing will be for the WBC Silver Welterweight title.

Amir Khan has a three and a half inch reach advantage against Collazo and is younger by five years in the tale of the tape.

Collazo has stepped into the ring first while Amir Khan makes his eagerly awaited ring return after a hiatus of 12 months.

Mike Tyson, Bernard Hopkins and Danny Garcia are seen at ringside as they wait for the action to begin at MGM Grand Garden Arena at Las Vegas.

Adrien Broner has won by unanimous decision against Carlos Molina with the judges scoring 99-91, 98-92 and 100-90.



PREVIEW

Amir Khan is hungrier than ever to step back into the ring, saying he didn't want to come off the longest break of his career against an easy opponent.

The 27-year-old Briton will end a 12-month hiatus on Saturday when he moves up in weight to face American Luis Collazo in a non-title fight at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.

"I fight everyone," Khan says. "Collazo is a mixture of a boxer and a fighter. He is slick and he knows how to fight. I am a similar style so that is what is going to make this fight exciting."

Khan and Collazo's 12-round welterweight fight is on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather-Marcos Maidana 147-pound (67 kg) world title fight.

"He is going to give it 100 percent and he is in great shape," Khan said Thursday at a news conference Thursday at the Hollywood Theatre in the MGM Grand. "He will be bigger than me on the night of the fight and at times I will have to dig deep."

Size and weight will be crucial for Khan in his first welterweight bout.

"I have not ate my way up to this weight. I trained my way up to this weight," Khan said, adding that he's more comfortable at 147 pounds because he doesn't have to starve himself to get down to 140 ahead of Friday's weigh-in.

"I feel so much stronger and happier at this weight," he said. "That seven pounds makes a big difference and I have kept all my power and speed."

Khan's last fight was in April of last year when he won a 12-round decision over Julio Diaz in Sheffield, England.

Just over a month later Khan got married and now the couple are expecting a baby. After the win over Diaz, Khan took four months off from boxing to spend time with his bride.

Khan (28-3, 19 knockouts) says the time away was good for him mentally and physically. "My body needed a break," he said.

Khan, who turned pro in 2005 after winning a silver medal for Britain in the Athens Olympics, is one of the most exciting fighters in the sport always willing to go toe-to-toe with his opponent.

"I am the most exciting fighter in the world," Khan said. "My hand speed is explosive.

"When I go into the ring I give it my all, and I have been in with the best."

Before the break, Khan was also one of the busiest fighters, especially for the first six years of his pro career.

When he did finally return to the gym eight months ago it was a little different because instead of focusing on an upcoming fight, he just worked on conditioning and fine-tuning his craft.

"I had to work on my own style and on things by myself," Khan said. "This training camp has gone really well. I have been working really hard.

"Even though I haven't been in the ring in the last 12 months, I have been in the gym training for eight months."

In July, 2012, Khan lost to Danny Garcia in a fight for the World Boxing Council super lightweight crown.

It was his second straight defeat, following a controversial loss to Lamont Peterson. A rematch with Peterson was scuttled when Peterson failed a pre-fight drug test.

"Every time I've been knocked down I got back up again," Khan said. "I have been stopped on my feet but that is just boxing. I've never been knocked out."

Collazo stood on the podium at Thursday's news conference and said Khan is in for a surprise in his first fight as a welterweight.

"Welcome to the welterweight division," said Collazo, 33.

Collazo (33-5, 18 KOs) grew up selling drugs on the streets of Brooklyn.

He turned pro in 2000 and won his first world title five years later. He also compiled an impressive 97-7 record as an amateur.

"You're going to see the best Collazo you have ever seen," said Collazo who has been with his trainer, Nirmal Lorick, since he was 12.

Saturday's undercard also features a non-title super lightweight fight between Americans Adrien Broner and Carlos Molina.