Lamont Peterson: I am still the WBA and IBF champion

Lamont Peterson has rejected calls from Amir Khan to surrender his WBA and IBF belts despite failing a drugs test.

His light-welterweight bout with Khan was due to take place on Saturday, but was called off when the American tested positive for synthetic testosterone.

Peterson says he took the testosterone for medical reasons and hopes a hearing will prove he did not intend to cheat.

"Let the commission decide, let the sanctioning bodies decide," he said. "Until that point I'm still the champ."

The Nevada State Athletic Commission is scheduled to meet on 13 June to discuss Peterson's case.

The boxer claims his doctor recommended he needed treatment for abnormally low testosterone levels and says he was unaware that the treatment could trigger a failed test.

"If the procedure I done is what gave me the dirty urine, then what else can i say? I made a mistake.," said Peterson. "That's all I can say. apologise for it and try and move on with my career.

"But I think it's wrong for anyone to call me a cheat."

It has emerged testosterone pellets were inserted into Peterson's hip before he beat Britain's Khan in a controversial bout last December.

"I've never been a cheat. I don't like it when people cheat," added Peterson. "It's just my word but the pellets didn't do anything to help me beat him."

Having called for drug testing to be written into the contract for his rematch against Khan, Peterson believes that his positive test will serve as a wake-up call to the boxing authorities over the lack of consistency in anti-doping measures.

"Boxing is really an unorganised sport," said Peterson, 28. "So many things happen, back-door things, cheating, all type of things.

"And using PEDs (performance enhancing drugs) is one of the key things in boxing right now. Everyone is familiar with PEDs and things like that. I, as a person for one, do not like that.

"I'm someone who's never cheated in his life about anything. I just don't feel like a winner if I cheated.

"Boxing is already a rough sport. We don't need to make it rougher by someone taking a drug to make themselves that much better, and putting someone's health at risk."

Peterson said boxing "needed to be cleaned up", adding: "Like I said, this is something that I actually sit down at night in my bed and pray for."

For now, Peterson is focusing his attention on the Nevada hearing. He intends to apply for a licence to box, knowing the outcome will determine his immediate and possible long-term future in boxing.

"I just want them - the commission - to know that I didn't intend to cheat or gain any advantage," he said.

"At the end of the day if I cheat, I don't win and I'm one who loves to win and I don't need nobody or anything to help me to win.

"I just want them to know that I didn't attempt to cheat.

"I'm not a cheater and I really don't know how to put in words to tell them. I'm confident we can prove I'm innocent of any wrongdoing."