• Amir Khan v Lamont Peterson

Khan is two rounds behind already - Hopkins

ESPN staff
December 8, 2011
Amir Khan is up against it in Washington © Getty Images
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Bernard Hopkins has warned Amir Khan he has lost the first two rounds before he even steps inside the ring against Lamont Peterson this weekend.

Hopkins fears that Khan will encounter "home fighter" syndrome when he takes on Peterson in the American's own backyard. Khan is aiming to defend his WBA and IBF light-welterweight belts with a victory that he believes will clean out the division.

At 46 years of age, Hopkins is as experienced as they come, and he made no effort to hide the fact that his compatriot has a major advantage over Khan this weekend. The judges, Hopkins warns, will be in Peterson's favour, and Peterson himself will be two levels above his typical standard.

"Like football, like basketball, like hockey, I think when you go into another man's home town I believe that man gets an extra point before the fight even starts," Hopkins said.

"Not officially, of course, it just to me seems more of a custom thing where when you go to a man's home town, you have to recognise it is exactly that - his home town. You're in this guy's dining room taking his milk, taking his fan base.

"At the end of the day as the fighter going into that, if I'm Amir Khan then I'm giving Peterson two points before the weigh-in even.

"Peterson is [also] going to step up another level. That's supposed to happen. So based on that, Amir Khan has to do twice or three times as much as Peterson has to do at home, where he already has a two-point lead before the bell rings."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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