LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Saul "Canelo" Alvarez successfully defended his World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight title in spectacular fashion on Saturday with a devastating sixth-round knockout of Amir Khan.

The 25-year-old Mexican dropped Khan with a straight right hand over a left jab that sent the Briton crumbling to the canvas where he lay there motionless for a couple of minutes.

Khan, who moved up two weight classes to face the bigger champion, started strong and won the first couple of rounds before Alvarez worked his way into the fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.