If Amir “King” Khan and Marcos “El Chino” Maidana had never faced each other, and someone were to ask boxing fans today who would have won, the question might draw some laughter. A brutal power puncher with devastating force against a fighter with a fragile chin prone to frequent lapses in focus? The prediction would seem almost obvious, with many confidently foreseeing an inevitable KO in favor of the Argentine. Yet, boxing is not mathematics, and on December 11, 2010, heart, courage, and determination allowed Amir Khan to achieve a memorable feat. Let’s revisit that night at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, 14 years ago.
Several Clues and One Shocking Proof: Amir Khan’s Fragility
The fact that Khan didn’t possess a particularly sturdy chin had already been evident during the early stages of his professional career, even before Colombian Breidis Prescott dealt him a shocking first-round KO in 2008. Before that, the British-Pakistani fighter had been knocked down by less-than-exceptional opponents like Willie Limond and Michael Gomez and had been shaken on other occasions. However, his ability to recover and regain control of those fights had temporarily silenced skeptics. Then came the devastating loss to Prescott, who finished him in just 54 seconds, placing a figurative sword of Damocles over Khan’s head. People began watching his fights, expecting disaster at any moment.
Yet Amir has always been a determined fighter, driven to prove his critics wrong. Following that fall, he rose again like a champion, claiming the WBA super lightweight world title and defending it twice with brilliant performances. By the time the bout with Maidana approached, Khan had reestablished himself firmly as a top contender.
A Beast from Nowhere: The Unpredictable Marcos Maidana
When Maidana earned his first title shot in Germany against the experienced Ukrainian Andriy Kotelnik, he was still somewhat of an enigma. Although he had already fought a few unremarkable fights in Europe, he hadn’t yet faced truly challenging opponents. What was known about him was his frightening KO rate, but the limited footage available online portrayed a fighter with raw power but crude, unpolished technique.
Many were surprised to see this seemingly unknown challenger hold his own against the champion, narrowly losing via Split Decision but proving himself to be much more than a typical South American brawler. His breakthrough, however, came in his next fight when the highly touted prospect Victor Ortiz was forced into an early stoppage after six electrifying rounds—a bout in which Maidana was knocked down three times. This display of tenacity, danger, and resilience made him a perfect candidate to challenge Khan for the title, with a realistic chance of taking the belt away.
From Early Brilliance to a Grueling Finish: Amir Khan’s Great Night
Boxers with exceptional hand speed like Amir Khan are especially dangerous in the early rounds when their athletic freshness allows them to maximize their best attributes. It’s no coincidence that over 60% of Khan’s career knockouts occurred within the first three rounds. Attacking him cold has always been a gamble; while Prescott managed to succeed, many others paid the price.
Maidana, however, didn’t have a Plan B and lacked the patience to wait for openings. At the start of the fight, when Khan extended his glove in a gesture of sportsmanship, Maidana immediately attempted to counter with a left hook. Staying close to Khan in the opening exchanges nearly spelled disaster for the Chino: a brilliant left uppercut landed flush to his liver, sending him writhing on the canvas in pain. That he managed to rise and continue was nothing short of a sporting miracle.
Outpaced in hand speed, Maidana began finding his rhythm around the third and fourth rounds. However, a disastrous fifth round, compounded by a harsh point deduction from referee Joe Cortez, pushed him further behind on the scorecards. Frustrated by the penalty and aware of the uphill battle, Maidana finally unleashed his aggression in the middle rounds, repeatedly piercing Khan’s tight guard with uppercuts to the face.
Yet this resurgence was short-lived, as a familiar issue for Maidana came into play: a lack of stamina, the aerobic endurance often discussed in boxing circles. After two explosive rounds, Maidana seemed drained, allowing the champion to regain control and rediscover his confidence.
As the tenth round approached, Maidana’s hopes were hanging by a thread. Behind on points, with a knockdown and a penalty against him, he needed a spectacular finish to turn the tide—and that spectacular moment arrived. A thunderous right hook landed, and only divine intervention seemed to keep Khan on his feet. From that moment, his bout turned into a grueling ordeal.
Maidana advanced like a tank, throwing punches from every angle with relentless fury, occasionally overcommitting to the point of lunging headfirst beyond the ropes. Yet Khan refused to hit the canvas. Displaying boundless heart, “King Khan” not only endured the onslaught but also managed a final flurry of punches just before the fight ended, earning a genuine ovation from the crowd.
Of the three official scorecards (114-111, 114-111, and 113-112), the closest one likely reflects the bout’s true competitiveness. Nonetheless, even if achieved by a narrow margin, Amir Khan’s victory is one for the history books—a testament to his resilience and the indomitable spirit that made it possible.