British boxer Amir Khan lost his unbeaten record in a shock first round knockout defeat as Breidis Prescott claimed the WBO Intercontinental lightweight title here on Saturday. The little-known Colombian sent Khan to the canvas before following up and knocking out the Englishman to win the World Boxing Organization belt at the MEN Arena. Prescott needed just 54 seconds to knock out Khan, who got up after one knockdown only to be sent to the canvas moments later. Khan, 21, suffered his first defeat in his 19th professional fight and now looks a long way off the top lightweights like Nate Campbell, the American who defends three versions of the world title against the Dominican Republic's Joan Guzman on September 13. Khan's leaky defense was again exposed in his first fight under new trainer Jorge Rubio. Prescott first winded Khan with a shuddering body shot and when the Lancashire boxer's hands dropped, the Colombian unleashed a powerful left to the temple. It was a perfect shot and it left Khan crumpled in a heap on the canvas. Khan got to his feet but he was on wobbly legs and after being allowed to continue after a count of eight, Prescott launched into Khan with another right-left assault to leave him on the canvas again. This time, Khan was counted out. Khan, who was floored for the third time in the paid ranks by fellow Englishman Michael Gomez in June, is now left with a rebuilding job to rescue his career from unfulfilled promise. Prescott, 25, had stopped 17 opponents in an unbeaten 19-fight career before climbing into the ring to face Khan but little was known of the Colombian. Prescott, who had a slight height advantage, had bragged he would burst Khan's bubble and stop him in the fourth round - but he did sooner than he or anyone else had imagined. Khan is confident he can recover from the defeat and still become world lightweight champion. Khan admitted he disregarded advice from Rubio about Prescott, who was a known puncher after previously stopping 17 of his 19 opponents. “I just got caught with a big shot,” Khan told a news conference on Sunday. “I knew he had speed and was powerful. I will have to see where I'm going wrong but I will back stronger. “Every fighter wins and loses in his career and I'm going to come back stronger. Jorge is the man to help me do that definitely. He's a great trainer. “He's a big banger in the first three rounds. I fight with my heart but now it's going to be about using my brain. I got beat in the amateurs and came back stronger,” he added. Elsewhere on the bill, Nicky Cook earned a unanimous points decision over fellow Briton Alex Arthur to win the WBO world super-featherweight title. Diaz wins split decision against Katsidis In Houston, American Juan Diaz won the vacant world IBO lightweight title in a split decision over Australian Michael Katsidis on Saturday. Two judges scored it 115-113 and 116-112 for Diaz while the third had Katsidis winning 115-113. The Australian believed he won the fight and said he feared such a hometown decision in favor of Diaz - born and resident in Houston. In the highlight of the undercard, 2000 Olympic silver medalist Rocky Juarez (28-4) of Houston won by technical knockout over Argentina's Jorge Rodriguez Barrios (47-4-1) in a junior lightweight match. Two-time former world champion Jesus “El Matador” Chavez (43-4) of Mexico scored a technical knockout of Colombian Andres Ledesma (14-10-1) in the ninth round of their 10-round lightweight match.
