Fagan gets Khan opportunity

Dublin's Oisin Fagan has been chosen as the opponent for Amir Khan’s comeback fight on 6 December at the ExCeL.

The fight will be on the undercard of Nicky Cook's first WBO super-featherweight world title defence.

The 2004 Olympic silver medalist was beaten in 54 seconds by Breidis Prescott last month and now faces a difficult path to world title contention.

American-based Fagan, originally from Portmarnock has won 22 of his 27 fights but with just 13 knockouts on his record he is unlikely to expose Khan's fragile chin in the manner Prescott did.

The 34-year-old has campaigned at lightweight and light-welterweight, winning the Irish title in the latter division in June 2006.

Troubled former IBF world champion Paul Spadafora is the biggest name on his record, a fight he lost by split decision.

Fighting out of Oklahoma City, Fagan has been stopped just once in 2003 and should provide rugged opposition for Khan.

Khan's record slipped to 18-1 following his demolition by Prescott, a little-known Colombian puncher who was chosen as an opponent on the recommendation of the 21-year-old's then new trainer Jorge Rubio.

The blunder resulted in Rubio being sacked and Khan has since been training with Freddie Roach at the American coach's Wild Card gym in Hollywood.

But Roach's involvement in Manny Pacquiao's clash with Oscar De La Hoya in Las Vegas, also on December 6, means Dean Powell will be in Khan's corner at the ExCeL.

Khan, the Commonwealth lightweight champion, is expected to spar against ferocious Filipino banger Pacquiao next week and will return to the UK in late November.

Dublin native Fagan believes Khan's vulnerability will have taken its toll on his psyche and is confident he can inflict the second defeat of his career.

‘If I'd just got knocked out in the fashion that Amir did, that would be all I could think about,’ he told Setanta Sports News.

‘He must have nightmares about that every second of the day.

‘I'm thinking that anytime he gets a good dig on that chin he has to be thinking about that knockout.

‘I'm not a power puncher but I give everybody a good go. I've fought world champions and I've been unlucky not to end up with a win.’