Khan pledges to bounce back from lightning KO

MANCHESTER (AFP) - Amir Khan is confident he can recover from his first professional defeat and still become world lightweight champion.

The English boxer was knocked out within a minute after twice being sent to the canvas by Colombian Breidis Prescott at the MEN Arena in Manchester on Saturday.

Prescott claimed the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Intercontinental lightweight crown to move closer to world title contention.

Khan had stopped 14 of his 18 opponents before running into Prescott, who brutally exposed the defensive frailties of the 2004 Olympic Games silver medallist.

Khan, who is still the Commonwealth lightweight champion, drops to 18 wins and one defeat.

The 21-year-old might have lightning-fast hands and an exciting style that has made him popular in Britain and Asia, but there had been warnings about his defensive weaknesses.

In his last fight, Khan was sent to the canvas for the third time as a professional by fellow English boxer Michael Gomez in June.