Amir Khan knocked out by Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in stunning sixth-round loss - in pictures

The best pictures from the WBC Middleweight championship showdown in Las Vegas

Amir Khan’s hopes of upsetting the odds were dramatically dashed away after a crushing sixth-round knockout defeat by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, leaving the British boxer unconscious on the floor after suffering a fourth career loss, the third to come by devastating knockout.

Khan was the clear underdog for the fight with the physically bigger Mexican, who at just 25 years old had won 46 of his 48 fights – his sole defeat coming against the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Khan started brightly and enjoyed the better of the opening two rounds, although any success was not being registered with one of the judges who gave khan just one of the five completed rounds despite Alvarez taking time to gel into the fight.

But once Canelo found his range he began to find Khan’s body with a number of shots, and his work downstairs opened up the opportunity to win the fight midway through the sixth round.

A faint with the left saw Khan; lower his hands to cover up, and allowed Alvarez to unleash a ferocious right overhand onto the jaw of Khan to end the fight, with referee Kenny Bayliss calling it off immediately after the 2004 Olympic silver medallist was left unconscious on the floor.

Click on the gallery above to see the fight in pictures.