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Khan warming to McCloskey rematch

Amir Khan beat Paul McCloskey via TKO in April © PA Photos

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WBA and IBF light-welterweight champion Amir Khan has hinted he is willing to offer Paul McCloskey a rematch later this year.

Khan triumphed when the pair met in April, with the fight controversially stopped in the sixth round due to a cut above McCloskey's eye. Although he had arguably lost every round up to that point, McCloskey claimed afterwards that he merited a rematch.

And he boosted his chances of securing one on Saturday by claiming a unanimous points win over Breidis Prescott, the only man to defeat Khan.

However, Khan is expected to face Lamont Peterson, the mandatory challenger for his IBF crown, in December in what is likely to be his final fight in the light-welterweight decision before moving to welterweight.

"Great win for Paul McCloskey - he stuck in there all the way and turned it around. He deserved the win, well done, my prediction was right," Khan tweeted. "McCloskey got great support, let's hope he goes all the way and wins a world title, a rematch will be huge, he really impressed me tonight."

Meanwhile, Prescott is angling for a rematch of his own, insisting that he was the victim of a home decision against Northern Ireland's McCloskey in Belfast. Prescott dominated the first few rounds of the contest, knocking his opponent down in the first, but faded dramatically in the late stages after appearing to tire.

"He would miss me completely or hit my gloves and the crowd would roar and the people at ringside would jump to their feet in ecstasy, screaming and yelling right behind the judges," Prescott said. "I guess they were swayed by that, but let's be clear. I did more than enough to win this fight anywhere but here in Ireland."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.