LONDON (AP) -Amir Khan believes that defending his WBA light-welterweight title against unbeaten Dmitry Salita will be harder than winning it.
Khan (21-1) came face-to-face with the Ukraine-born, New York-based challenger for the first time Thursday ahead of their Dec. 5 fight in Newcastle. Despite being a strong favorite to win the fight, Khan said he expects his first defense to be one of his toughest.
``It was tough winning the title but will be even tougher keeping hold of it,'' said the 22-year-old British fighter, who earned a unanimous decision over Ukrainian fighter Andreas Kotelnik to capture the belt in July. ``That's what's going to motivate me in the gym.''
He faces an opponent who was schooled in the gyms of New York and has 30 wins and a draw.
Salita's family emigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine when he was 9 years old, and he was introduced to the fight game at age 13 at the Starrett City Boxing Club in Brooklyn, where he began training alongside fighters who went on to win world titles.
Now he finally gets his own chance.
``Boxing was work for me after school,'' the naturalized American said. ``I grew up throwing thousands of punches with world champions. I always knew that this moment would come. Being surrounded by world champions from a young age helped me in my education.
``Now I will be closing a chapter in my journey and opening a new one.''
A pro for eight years, Salita is fighting outside of North American for the first time and doesn't have any major names on his record. Of his 30 victories, 16 have come inside the distance and, in the only fight he didn't win, an eight-rounder with Ramon Montano in March 2006, he was down twice in the opening round.
Salita said he was sick in the days before that fight and struggled to make the weight.
``I was not 100 percent and I made mistakes. I won't for this fight,'' he said. ``Amir knows what it's like to wear the belt round his waist and be the world champion. I don't.''
Although Khan is a devout Muslim and Salita an orthodox Jew, both fighters distanced themselves from the suggestion that this fight had a religious angle.
``People should not make something that it's not,'' Salita said. ``We are two guys from two different backgrounds come to fight. I respect Amir Khan inside and outside the ring.''
Khan said the fact that it was a world title fight is what should attract attention.
``We are professional sportsmen in a worldwide sport,'' Khan said. ``This fight is huge because we are fighting for the world title but not because of any religious aspect.''
