Boxing: Khan turns back on UK after TV row

(AFP)

Amir Khan's WBA light welterweight title defence against Paul McCloskey tonight is likely to be a rare chance for fans to see him fight on home soil, with his bouts set to return to the United States.

A broadcasting dispute has overshadowed Khan's first fight here since 2009, with the boxer feeling American television companies are showing him more support. "I'm not going to say it could be my last fight in Britain," Khan said. "But I think it will be a long time until I come back again because, while I want to have the big fights in England, it will be quite difficult to make them. I think they will probably be more likely in America."

Saturday's contest in Manchester was moved from BSkyB's pay-per-view channel to its regular subscription sports channel, which gave Khan more exposure but less money.

In protest, Khan took his fight away from the network to a pay-per-view channel in Britain, Primetime. HBO will show the fight in the US.

"I've always said from day one that there is more money to be made for me in America if I fought there, but I chose to come here and fight live in front of my own fans," Khan said. "Being a British fighter and having more support from American TV just shows that as a British fighter I should have had British TV supporting me more."

The 24-year-old Khan is not expected to be troubled by an unbeaten but untested Northern Irishman McCloskey.