Brit Muslim boxer involved in brawl ahead of title fight

London, May 15 (ANI): WBA light-welterweight champion Amir Khan was dragged away by his throat in a shocking mass brawl at the weigh-in for tonight's title fight with Paulie Malignaggi.

Kahn was caught in a huge bust-up at the 1,000 pounds-a-night at Essex House Hotel in New York, The Sun reports.

Malignaggi's promoter Lou DiBella raged: "Did you see this s**t, my guy got roughed up. If there's one more incident of this kind, he won't be fighting on Saturday. That's a promise. The weigh-in was closed to the public yet Khan had so many people there shouting and screaming."

Around 50 noisy Khan fans packed into the Petit Salon at the Essex House Hotel and pumped up the volume as Khan and Malignaggi deliberately touched foreheads and aimed verbal abuse at each other, The Sun reports.

Suddenly the violence exploded and it descended into a mass brawl with Khan fans trying to wade in.

Malignaggi tumbled into the hoardings and Khan was surrounded by people from his promoters, Golden Boy, and then led him away, The Sun reports.

Anthony Cantanzaro, Malignaggi's manager, shouted: "Khan's people came in and started fighting on the stage."

Malignaggi said: "If Golden Boy had done this like they were supposed to do, there would have been none of this. There was shoving and then suddenly all hell broke loose." (ANI)