Boxing: Amir Khan confirms first fight in Britain for two years

Khan will take on light-welterweight Julio Diaz in April

Amir Khan has been defeated three times as a pro boxer but hopes for a fresh start with new trainer Virgil Hunter (Getty Images)

Amir Khan will fight in Britain for the first time in two years after it was confirmed the light-welterweight will face Julio Diaz in April.

The former world champion will meet the tough Mexican in Sheffield on April 27 in his first bout on English soil since his controversial win over Paul McCloskey in 2011.

Khan's last fight was a one-sided stoppage of over-matched Carlos Molina in Los Angeles in December in his first outing since successive losses to Lamont Peterson and Danny Garcia.

The Bolton fighter's stock has dipped since those defeats, with ticket sales disappointing for his victory over Molina in California.

He will now return to the United Kingdom in a bid to rebuild over here, with Sheffield's 12,000 capacity Motorpoint Arena hosting his scrap with Diaz.

The Mexican is another block in the rebuilding process for Khan, holding a record of 40-7-1 (29 KO wins) without proving himself against elite opposition.

Khan last boxed in Britain against Northern Ireland's McCloskey in Manchester in April 2011, having a difficult night's work before winning via a sixth-round technical decision following a cut suffered by the challenger.

The 26-year-old's promoters, Golden Boy, are branching out in the UK and will stage the show with London 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Anthony Ogogo and Khan's brother Haroon making their professional debuts on the undercard.

PA