Amir Khan says he asked his corner to pull him out his WBO welterweight title fight against Terence Crawford in New York.
Khan was dropped in the opening round at Madison Square Garden but recovered well against the undefeated world champion.
The fight’s decisive moment came in the sixth round however when he was caught with a shuddering low blow.
Rules would have allowed Khan to take up to five minutes to recover from the illegal shot but said he felt he was unable to continue.
In his post-fight interview, the 32-year-old explained he told trainer Virgil Hunter he could no longer move, prompting the early stoppage that drew boos from the New York crowd.
The fight was just getting interesting,” Khan told BT Sport. “Terence was great, I am not taking anything away from him. I have realised why he was one of the best pound for pound. I could feel that punch in the stomach and legs. I have never been hit below the belt and was in pain.
"I could feel it in my stomach and legs. I said 'I can't move'. There was no point taking five minutes out, I could not continue."
