Amir Khan will defend his world title against Dmitriy Salita at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle on Saturday December 5.

Khan, who won the WBA light-welterweight belt in July by outpointing Andreas Kotelnik, faces a tricky first defence.

Promoter Frank Warren said: "For Amir's first defence this is a very tough fight for him and he's taking on a fighter that the American media are really building up at the moment.

"Salita's got a great record, he's unbeaten and carries a big punch and of course he will pose a threat to Amir, but Amir's a world-class fighter and has to deal with these challengers."

He added: "I've promoted a lot of shows in Newcastle with all the big names like Naz (Naseem Hamed), (Joe) Calzaghe, (Ricky) Hatton and (Nigel) Benn and I'm delighted to bring Amir to the city for the first time.

"The public there are big sports fans and love the big events and it's great to bring them a fight like Khan v Salita."

Salita, the mandatory challenger for Khan's title, was born in Odessa, Ukraine, and moved with his family to Brooklyn, New York, when he was nine years old. He is an observant Jew and strictly follows Jewish law so if he fights on a Saturday then it must begin after sundown, the end of the sabbath.

He famously said: "Anyone who wants a good whuppin' from me is just going to have to wait until sundown."