Khan hits Peterson during the third round of their WBA super lightweight and IBF Junior welterweight title fight in Washington
Amir Khan (R) hits Lamont Peterson during the third round of their WBA super lightweight and IBF Junior welterweight title fight in Washington, December 10, 2011. REUTERS

Amir Khan will fight Lamont Peterson in Las Vegas on May 19 in a potentially explosive rematch.

Khan was controversially beaten by Peterson in his hometown Washington in December, when the Bolton born 25-year-old and in doing surrendered his WBA and IBF light-welterweight titles.

Golden Boy, Amir Khan's promoters, had endeavoured to force a rematch by appealing to the two governing bodies, after the British Pakistani boxer cited the mysterious "man in the hat", whose role in the bout was queried after he appeared to handle the scorecards having sat at the supervisors' table at ringside throughout.

The suspicious character was later revealed to be Mustafa Ameen, a volunteer outreach worker for the IBF, but importantly not an official and not appointed to work at the bout.

The 28-year-old Peterson took Khan's titles by a split points decision with two judges deeming him the winner by a single point.

Although the WBA ordered a rematch, Golden Boy withdrew their appeal to the IBF on the eve of their hearing in New Jersey, claiming they had no confidence in a fair hearing.

A deal has subsequently been agreed between the two camps after Khan relented on Peterson's demands for a 50-50 split of worldwide revenue. A rematch with Khan was by far the most lucrative option available to Peterson, with the 28-year-old set to earn a minimum of $1.5 million due to Khan's lucrative deals with HBO in the US and Sky Sports in the UK.

Khan will fight Peterson at the Mandalay Bay Events Centre, Las Vegas, on May 19, and Golden Boy's chief executive, Richard Schaefer, admits the venue, outside of Washington and holding happy memories for Khan having defeated Marcos Maidana in 2010 and Zab Judah last July, was an important factor in the rescheduled bout.

"It's not going to be a sanctioning organisation or media or fans pressuring for a rematch, ultimiately it comes down to the two fighters," Schaefer is quoted by The Times. "Amir wanted the rematch from the moment the verdict was announced. He called me multiple times every day to push for it. Now Lamont Peterson has decided that he wants it, too.

"These two guys fighting each other again is one of the biggest fights in any weight class that can be made."

He continued: "We won't see any men with hats sitting at the scorers' table," Schaefer said. "Security will be very tight. Las Vegas has probably the best commission in the world and they are going to make sure everything is above board.

"We have already had conversations to make sure this is going to be absolutely neutral ground for both fighters.

"The best man that night is going to get the decision. What happened is in the past, we now look to the future.

"I really believe that Amir Khan has the skills and athleticism to become pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world. First things first, he has unfinished business and he has to set the record straight."

Khan added: "I'm taking nothing away from Lamont Peterson, he's a great fighter but I think I deserve a rematch."