MANCHESTER - Promoter Frank Warren on Sunday called on Ricky Hatton to retire rather than risk his long-term health by fighting Amir Khan.

Khan on Saturday became world champion at just 22 years, taking Andreas Kotelnik's WBA light-welterweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision win here.

Hatton watched Khan's triumph from his hospital bed as the 30-year-old former light-welterweight world champion recovers from a gastric virus which required him to spend some time on a drip.

The build-up to the fight had been dominated by talk of 2004 Olympic silver medalist Khan facing his friend and fellow Lancastrian in the near future.

But Warren is not so sure after Hatton's shocking second-round knockout by Manny Pacquiao in May.

"From a personal point of view, Ricky Hatton shouldn't be fighting," said the promoter. "It's not good for boxing and more importantly it's not good for him.

"Financially it is a great fight and I think Ricky would get stopped again by Amir. I don't think Ricky could cope with that pace.

"I don't think he should fight again but if he wants to do it then I'm sure it could happen. But from his health point of view, he should definitely retire."

"But if he wants to put himself in there then that is his decision.

"He's not a baby, he's 30-odd years of age. Sometimes fighters go on too long and it's not good for them. And at the end of the day, bad things happen."

Khan insisted he would fight Warren if that was what his team decided.

"We're good friends and stuff but business is business," said Khan.

"I'm just going to leave it to my team. I'm a fan of Ricky Hatton and I like him to be in my corner, supporting me all the way and for me to achieve what he has achieved.

"But boxing is a game where you have to face fighters.

"In Britain I think it would be a huge fight that the public would want to see. We'll see what happens. If Freddie Roach thinks it's the right move for me to make, then I'm going to make that move."