Khan - It wasn't my night

A crestfallen Amir Khan admitted he had paid a dear price for his mistakes after suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of Danny Garcia.

The Bolton boxer looked at his imperious best in the opening stages of the light-welterweight contest in Las Vegas before being caught cold by a left hook in the closing seconds of the third round.

"After watching the replays a little bit I thought I was coming in with my hands down and Danny took advantage."
Amir Khan Quotes of the week

The blow sent Khan to the canvas and although he had a minute on his stool to recover, it soon became clear at the start of the fourth he was in serious trouble against the man from Philadelphia.

Garcia poured on the pressure and when Khan had been floored for a third time, referee Kenny Bayless decided to wave off the fight.

"It wasn't my night," he admitted after losing his grip on the WBA title which he had only been handed in the build-up to the fight.

"After watching the replays a little bit I thought I was coming in with my hands down and Danny took advantage.

"I respect Danny, he was countering very well against me."

Khan was taken to hospital for precautionary scans after the devastating loss, which was his second in succession after Lamont Peterson's tainted win over him last December.

Before leaving the ring he confessed that complacency might have been an issue, particularly after he had made such a strong start to proceedings.

"We got a little complacent and he took advantage and he caught me," he said.

"I was a little surprised the referee stopped it. I thought he was going to let us continue. My mind was clear and I thought my legs were okay but I respect the referee, the judges and the commission, maybe they made the right call."

Same shots

Garcia, who came mightily close to pulling off his pre-fight predicition of a third-round KO, found success with the same punch that had seen him get the better of the legendary Erik Morales to win the WBC belt.

"I always knew I was going to win this fight and I'm now a unified champion at 140lbs," the American said. "I needed a great fighter in front of me to show how good a fighter I am.

"Now everyone knows. I'm a killer. I will fight anyone, anywhere, anytime.

"I hit him with the same shots I hit Erik Morales with when I won the title last time and that shows you how great a fighter Morales is.

"People said he was old but he took those shots all night long and Khan couldn't take them."

He admitted the fight went just as he had expected, adding: "We knew Khan was going to come out fast because he thought I had no power but I waited and stepped up to use the power and speed I have, and it worked.

"I was going to fight until the death, just like he did. Now I want to continue to fight the best."