KENT boxer Harry Dhami failed in his bid to win the British Welterweight Lonsdale belt outright when he was knocked out by Belfast's Neil Sinclair last night. Dhami, from Gravesend, was looking to defend his title for a third time at the St Andrews Sporting Club in Glasgow and stunned the challenger early on.

Sinclair started brighter but Dhami looked odds on to win when he put the challenger down in the first with a sharp right.

But Sinclair regained his composure and started to take control with solid shots to the head and body.

But Dhami was still having success and a stinging right brought a large swelling under Sinclair's eye, which was a big cause for concern to the Belfast man's corner.

Dhami has no problem going the distance and with Sinclair's eye getting worse by the minute he knew he had to produce something special.

And in the middle of a fierce exchange in the fifth, Sinclair found the equaliser to produce one of the knockouts of the year.

Sinclair unleashed a crunching right hook which left champion Dhami spread-eagled on the canvas and it took some time before he got to his feet.

The defeat, the fifth of Dhami's career, will come as a huge blow to the Gravesend fighter. He was the first British-Asian to win a British title and was hoping to be the first to win the Lonsdale belt outright.

A win would have put him into the European rankings but he will have to overcome this defeat and rebuild his career.