The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Manchester

Amir Khan hopes his 19th professional fight and first with new trainer Jorge Rubio will offer a strong argument for his defence on Saturday.

Being deposited on the canvas for the third time in his professional career in his last fight against Michael Gomez has prompted the unbeaten English lightweight to hire a new trainer.

That scare also convinced Frank Warren, the British promoter, that Khan is not ready yet to challenge the likes of Nate Campbell, the American who defends three versions of the world lightweight title against Joan Guzman, of the Dominican Republic, in Mississippi on September 13.

So, instead, Khan is seeking to extend his unblemished record against Breidis Prescott, of Colombia, with the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Intercontinental lightweight title on the line at the MEN Arena in Manchester.

After sacking Oliver Harrison earlier this year, Khan used another British trainer, Dean Powell, in his last fight in June during which the 2004 Olympic silver medallist's defensive frailties were again exposed.

Gomez, a former British super-featherweight champion who is past his prime, managed to floor Khan, who had previously been knocked down by Scotland's Willie Limond and France's Rachid Drilzane.

Khan regained his composure to hammer out a fifth round stoppage win over Gomez, but the second round knockdown was enough to convince him to employ an additional trainer to Powell for the Prescott fight.

Khan, 21, has experienced new training methods under Cuban Rubio, who is a former coach of the formidable Cuban amateur team and is now based in America.

Khan, whose lightening fast fists have stopped 14 opponents, is confident his work with Rubio will show a tighter defence against 25- year-old Prescott, who has assembled an unbeaten 19-fight record with 17 stoppages.

"I've been working on defensive moves and keeping my hands up and it has been a completely new thing working with Jorge," Khan told AFP.