Liga Inggris

Britain's number one boxing star Amir Khan defends his WBA/IBF light welterweight titles against local boy made good Lamont Peterson at the Convention Center, Washington DC on Saturday night. It will be the sixth and possibly final title defense for Khan at light welterweight as he has stated on record he wants to move up to the welterweight division in 2012. Khan is taking nothing for granted regards the once beaten Peterson, a fighter Khan's trainer Freddie Roach rates as his most dangerous opponent so far.

Khan vs Peterson will be screened live on Sky Sports 1, the action starts at 12:00 AM.

Few fighters in the Western world have had to overcome more hurdles than 27-year-old Lamont Peterson [29-1-1, 15 KOs]. The product of a severely dysfunctional family - drug dealing father in prison, mother unable to cope with 11 children - Peterson and his younger brother Anthony (now a world ranked lightweight) were homeless and living a feral existence on the mean streets of Washington DC, - amongst the most violent and dangerous in America - when they should have been in junior school.

''We didn't have a home to go to. We didn't have to go to school, didn't have to answer to anyone. We paid for our own clothes, our own food. It was really rough, especially when it was cold and you're outside all night.'' said Peterson in an interview with the BBC.

When they were ten and nine respectively, Lamont and Anthony were discovered by local boxing trainer Barry Hunter, who took the boys under his wing and guided them both inside and outside of the ring, turning them into the incredibly impressive young men they both are today. Both brothers became standout amateurs, and when it was time to turn professional, their back story guaranteed them extensive coverage on ESPN.

Lamont Peterson turned professional in September 2004 with a first round knockout of Nicholas Dean. It was soon clear that the youngster was going to be as impressive in the paid ranks as he had been in the amateurs.

Peterson won the WBC version of the United States light welterweight title with a 10 round decision over Jose Leo Moreno in 2006. In 2007 he added the WBO version of the American title with a sixth round stoppage over Frankie Santos. Peterson proved he was world-class in January 2008 when he broke the 34 bout winning streak of Brazilian contender Antonio Mesquita. The following year he outpointed the previously unbeaten Frenchman Willy Blain for the interim WBO light welterweight title, establishing himself as the mandatory challenger to Timothy Bradley.

Peterson took a 27-0 record into a WBO light welterweight title challenge in 2009 against fellow American Bradley. Despite having a 3'' height and 5'' reach advantage over the 5'6" Bradley, Peterson was handed a boxing lesson by ''Desert Storm'', losing a one-sided points decision.

Peterson bounced back in April 2010 with a seventh round TKO over Damien Fuller, and last December was involved in a thrilling draw with Victor Ortiz. In July of this year Peterson once again put himself in a mandatory position for a world title shot by stopping the talented Dominican Victor Manuel Cayo in the 12th and final round, securing the IBF no.1 contender spot.

As a fighter, Peterson is a rangy 5'9'' light welterweight, slightly shorter than Amir Khan, although his 74'' wingspan is three inches longer than the champion's. Peterson is a solid boxer with heavy hands. He can appear a little slow and one dimensional against the very top fighters, but he builds in rhythm and momentum as a fight progresses, and carries KO power into the later rounds.

He started slowly last time out against top contender Cayo, only to dominate the second half of the fight and kayo Cayo in the final round. Against future WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz, Peterson survived two knockdowns in the third round and looked on his way out. Peterson's ''never say die'' mentality saw him take the fight to Ortiz in the second half of the contest, landing some huge right hands of his own and battling to a well deserved draw.

He will need every ounce of the hunger and desire that still burns within him if he is to relieve Amir Khan of his world light welterweight title belts on Saturday night.

UK fight fans are almost becoming complacent in their expectancy of another Amir Khan victory when he enters the ring these days. It's a far cry from the months that followed his shock 54 second knockout loss to Colombian puncher Breidis Prescott in 2008. Many boxing experts and fans were quick to write Khan off as a potential world champion following that result, and despite the fact that the catalyst for the loss had been a vicious left hook to the temple, Khan was nevertheless labeled with the tag of possessing a 'China chin.'

Khan's then promoter Frank Warren pulled off a masterstroke when he linked the youngster up with no less a trainer than Freddie Roach, the man credited with turning Manny Pacquiao into a boxing superstar.

Since then the boy from Bolton has gone from strength to strength; A confidence building fourth-round stoppage over Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera in March 2009 was followed by a masterful display of boxing maturity against tough Ukrainian Andriy Kotelnik four months later, a win that netted Khan the WBA light welterweight title.

Stoppage victories over Dmitriy Salita (KO 1) and Paulie Malignaggi (TKO 11) followed, before Khan tackled the hardest puncher in the light welterweight division - Argentinian Marcos Rene Maidana in December 2010. Such an opponent would have been avoided like the plague two years earlier, but a vastly improved version of Khan floored the Argentinian in the first round and went on to score a close but unanimous decision - although he had to survive a genuine scare in the 10th round when several right-hand thunderbolts courtesy of Maidana had Khan out on his feet, and he came within a hairs breadth of referee Joe Cortez stopping the bout on at least three occasions.

This year, 24 year old Khan [26-1, 18 KOs] defended his title on a sixth round technical decision over previously unbeaten Irishman Paul McCloskey in April, and in July he added the IBF version of the 140 pound title with a fifth round TKO of modern great Zab Judah.

Just how far Amir Khan can go in the sport of boxing depends very much on his desire and motivation and how well he can maintain those factors in the years to come. Khan is the closest British boxing has ever had to a Sugar Ray Leonard or an Oscar De La Hoya – a non-heavyweight star with the talent, looks and charisma plus exciting ring style that draws big crowds and pulls in high PPV figures, plus the savvy to know his own value and look to maximize his potential – both fistically and financially.

The Bolton boy with the Pakistani heritage and Muslim faith is both a PR man's dream – and nightmare, at least in the UK.

Khan is a model professional. He will never be seen falling out of a nightclub at 4 AM or sneakily filmed snorting cocaine. He lives for his boxing, and despite a comfortable middle class upbringing, he has a hunger and desire normally associated with fighters from Filipino shanty towns or US inner city projects. Fiercely intelligent, he will answer any questions thrown at him articulately and honestly.

The problem is the 'Great British public' loves its bad boys. Petulant, foul mouthed footballer Wayne Rooney is the biggest star in British sport today. David Haye sold fights by taking trash talking to a whole new level. The biggest boxing star of recent times was Ricky Hatton, a man who reveled in his reputation for binge drinking in between bouts. Hatton was (and remains) an extremely likable character and very much a man of the people, with a traveling army of thousands that would attend his bouts, whether he was fighting at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas or the City of Manchester Stadium.

Khan is without doubt a box office attraction in the UK, but not yet on the scale of Hatton, or even recently retired former WBA heavyweight champion Haye. Khan will get there if he keeps on winning, and could potentially become the biggest boxing star Britain has ever produced.

First he must deal with Lamont Peterson on Saturday night, and is unlikely to ever square off against a more fired up, motivated opponent.

Despite what the bookies may think (Khan is a massive 1/14 favorite with bet365), this is an extremely dangerous fight for Khan. He cannot afford to get into a war with Peterson. The American possibly carries more one-punch KO power than Khan, and loves to load up on his right hand. A repeat of Khan's desperate tenth round against Maidana is a possibility if Amir is not careful. If he elects to box behind a tight defence and keep his chin out of harm's reach, his speed and volume of punches will get him a unanimous decision. If he tries to put on a show for the Washington fight fans, he could get his lunch handed to him.

Under the stewardship of master trainer Freddie Roach, and with his ambitions firmly set on a mega-matchup with Floyd Mayweather Jr in 2012, Khan will stay focused and cruise to a unanimous decision, although Peterson could well have his moments.

Khan by unanimous decision.

Big Fight Odds: Amir Khan 1/14, Lamont Peterson 8/1 bet365