Former world champion 31-year-old Amir Khan (33-4, 20 KOs) scored a unanimous decision victory over the 29-year-old Colombian resident of Toronto, Samuel Vargas (29-4-2, 14 KOs). The scores were: 119-108, 119-109 and 118-110.
In the second round, the opponents exchanged flash knockdowns. Vargas at the beginning of the round visited the floor from the left hook plus right overhand, Khan hit the canvas after the right to the head just before the bell. In the same round, Vargas got the bleeding from his nose.
In the third round Vargas was again on the floor, but after the fall signaled the referee that the punch fell on the back of the head.
In the fifth round, Vargas was visibly hurt, took a lot of heavy blows, but was able to stand on his feet and continue the fight.
At the end of the tenth round, Vargas was able to hurt Khan with a right hand.
In general, Khan took most of the rounds, but noticeably slowed down in the second half of the fight, and did not look convincingly enough against the opponent of the Vargas level, if his claims for the new title correspond to reality.
For Khan, this victory was the second after his return in April after almost two years of layoff. Five months ago in Liverpool Khan in less than 40 seconds figured out also the Canadian, Phil Lo Greco.
Before the battle, Khan was considered the undisputed favorite - 1.04. Bets for Vargas were taken at the rate of 11 to 1. Most analysts did not give Vargas a chance to hold up for more than 6 rounds.
At the weigh-in before the battle, Khan, in order to make a welterweight limit, had to stand on the scales without clothes.
"I wanted to go all the way. Three years passed, when the last time I had 12 rounds. If I want fights with opponents like Manny Pacquiao or Kell Brook, I need more experience than a quick victory can give. I would like to have another fight before the end of the year. My number one is Pacquiao," Amir Khan said after the battle.
Eddie Hearn, the promoter of Khan and Kell Brook, said that their meeting should be next. "If we do not make this fight next, we will never do it," Hearn said.
"Amir showed a good fight today, but if I were in the place of his opponent, he would not have held out until the final bell," said Kell Brook, who was ringside at Birmingham arena.
