Amir Khan has insisted he is not fazed by having to take on Lamont Peterson and a partisan crowd in Washington on Saturday.

31576 - Amir Khan not worried by Washington test

Khan will put his IBF and WBA light-welterweight titles on the line at the Convention Center in the US capital. He has experience of fighting against a home favourite, having beaten Paulie Malignaggi in New York, and he is ready to step into the lion's den once again.

"I'm not really concerned about fighting in his backyard," Khan said. "It's just one of those things. I do know that when you're fighting in your hometown you do train that bit harder, just to prove to your home fans how good you are. When I fought Paulie Malignaggi in New York he must have been doing extra training and if he hadn't, I might have stopped him earlier than I did.

"When you fight at home with your home support there it makes you go that bit longer and makes you try that little bit harder. I think that's the way Lamont Peterson is going to be.

"Maybe that will work against him or maybe it works in your favour, I don't know. But regardless, we have trained for him and we know exactly what to do to beat him."

Peterson suffered his only defeat in his previous world title challenge against Timothy Bradley in 2009 and is eager to go one better.

"I won't keep getting these opportunities," he admitted. "I really, really feel as though that I have progressed enough to become a star in this sport, to take my place in this sport and throughout my whole career, I'm used to being on top.

"I'm kind of comfortable with what's going on with this fight because it's always been this way when I first started boxing.

"Of course, you're not going to be No. 1, but you work your way up and eventually you're No. 1 as an amateur, as a young fighter.

"Then, you struggle a little bit, but I always find my way to the top. I just really, really believe that this is my time as a professional to be on top."