London

Legendary British boxer and former world champion Amir Khan announced his retirement from the sport on Friday.

Khan unified world titles at super-lightweight and faced pound-for-pound stars Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Terence Crawford during a 40-fight career. He ends his glittering career with 34 wins and six defeats. In his last fight, the 35-year-old Briton suffered a stoppage loss to Kell Brook in February.

"It's time to hang up my gloves. I feel blessed to have had such an amazing career that has spanned over 27 years. I want to say a heartfelt thanks and to the incredible teams I have worked with and to my family, friends and fans for the love and support they have shown me," Khan tweeted.

Khan won an Olympic silver medal at the 2004 Athens Games before turning pro in 2005. He became a world champion in July 2009, defeating Andriy Kotelnik on points to secure the WBA super-lightweight title, and he then stopped Zab Judah to add the IBF belt two years later.