Amir Khan v Samuel Vargas: Betting preview & tips from Chris Oliver

By Chris Oliver

22:27 · SAT September 08, 2018

Boxing expert Chris Oliver expects Amir Khan to prove too strong for Samuel Vargas when the pair go toe-to-toe in Birmingham on Saturday night.

Recommended bets

3pts Amir Khan to win in rounds 1-6 at 8/5

2pts Tommy Langford to win by decision at 6/4

For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record

You could be forgiven for not knowing who is in the opposite corner as Amir Khan continues his comeback against Samuel Vargas in Birmingham on Saturday night.

The pre-fight build-up has all been about who Khan will fight after this outing and Vargas' name has barely been mentioned, although that is no surprise looking at the betting.

Khan is a top price of 1/20, with the visitor available at a best of 13/1, and few are expecting the favourite to be seriously tested, let alone get beat. Vargas does represent a step up on Phil Lo Greco, who Khan dispatched in 39 seconds on his first fight for 23 months in April, albeit a small one.

Amir Khan v Samuel Vargas: Fight details

Dates: Saturday September 8
Start time: 2200 BST
TV Channel: Sky Sports Main Event
Venue: Arena Birmingham
Sky Bet odds: Khan 1/25, Draw 25/1, Vargas 10/1

Given that Lo Greco had been the distance with world-class operator Shawn Porter, he was expected to give Khan some much-needed rounds but instead crumpled in a heap of embarrassment before a sweat was broken. That told us less about what the two-time champion has left at the age of 31 and more about Lo Greco’s ability to freeze in the spotlight.

Vargas (29-3-2) is at least known for being able to take a good shot, and he took plenty of them in his two forays to world level against the excellent Errol Spence and Danny Garcia. The Colombian, who now resides in Canada, took bomb after bomb from the heavy-handed duo but was still on his feet when saved by the referee in rounds four and seven, respectively.

The younger man at 29, he is game and likes to come forward, with his style a little unorthodox at times, but that cannot hide the fact that he is nowhere near the level of Khan with regards to technical ability.

Vargas has talked about exposing Khan's suspect whiskers once again but landing that money punch is likely to be much easier said than done as the speed difference here looks to be huge. The only thing we did learn from his comeback is that the Bolton man still has lightning-quick hands and finding a regular target for his trademark one-two should be no problem.

The underdog likes to lead with a slow, wide left hook which leaves him open for a straight right hand, something Garcia showed repeatedly in their 2016 bout, and it could be the same for Khan.

Unbeaten in his last five, Vargas can be effective on the inside and will be looking to get in close to rough up the Olympic silver medalist, but attempting to do so puts him in the firing line for the rapid combinations of Khan.

The latter is just 2/5 to get the job done inside the distance. While he may be looking to get some rounds under his belt, he might be forced to trade sooner than expected by the aggressive tactics of his opponent and the beating could begin earlier than planned.

If Khan is to prove he remains in the big league then he not only needs to beat Vargas, but do so impressively. He can force the referee to halt the one-way traffic somewhere before the halfway mark and 8/5 for him winning between rounds 1-6 looks fair.

Amir Khan in action

If the main event is a bit too one-sided for the liking of fans, they won't go home disappointed if the rematch between Jason Welborn and Tommy Langford is half as good as the first encounter.

Welborn sprang a big upset when nicking a split decision in an absolute thriller at Walsall Town Hall in May and it is good to see the British middleweight title return get the big stage it deserves.

Having lost two previous British title attempts at lower weights, Welborn had huge success with his marauding style in the first half of the fight, before the champion began to find his range and staged a late comeback on the scorecards.

The bookies are struggling to split them in this West Midlands derby and it will all be down to who is able to impose their game plan on the fight, with Welborn looking to get on the inside and turn it into a real scrap, while Langford aims to get behind his jab and keep it at range.

Given the way Langford finished the fight, he may have learnt his lesson and can pick up where he left off, by staying out of harm's way on the outside and boxing his way to a points victory at 6/4.