LONDON -- Amir Khan won the IBF intercontinental light-welterweight title Saturday night, recovering from a surprise seventh-round knockdown to beat Rachid Drilzane in a lopsided decision.
Khan, the 2004 Olympic lightweight silver medalist, went the 10-round distance for the first time and took many blows to the head from the Frenchman without being able to impose his big-hitting style at ExCel Arena in his 10th fight as a pro.
The fight was elevated to a title contest because fight promoter Frank Warren lost the main event, the WBO featherweight world championship bout, when champion Scott Harrison was forced to pull out of his defense against Nicky Cook because he couldn't make the weight limit.
Khan is considered Britain's best fight prospect but he was unable to unload with any frequency against an opponent who was used to fighting at a heavier weight.
Drilzane floored Khan with a right hand in the seventh round but took many jabs and combinations and went on to lose by a score of 99-91 on the scorecards of the three judges.
Khan, who turned 20 on Friday, disputed that it was a knockdown.
"That was never a count. My foot got stuck in the ropes," he said. "It wasn't a knockdown. My foot got stuck and I got up straight away. There was no punch thrown."