CENTER TWP — Brian Minto knew the odds were against him.

“It was something like 12 to 1 against me getting out of the first round,” the 40-year-old Butler boxer said of his bout last weekend against undefeated London heavyweight Killian Whyte.

Minto (41-10) wound up getting knocked down in the first round. He landed some punches in the second, got knocked to the canvas early in the third and called it a night.

Whyte (16-0, 14 KO’s) has not allowed any of his last 12 opponents to last longer than four rounds. He is 6-foot-4, 240 pounds — five inches taller and 40 pounds heavier than Minto.

Minto took the fight on five days notice.

“I’m always in shape, but I wasn’t in boxing shape,” he admitted. “I hadn’t been sparring at all. (Whyte’s) opponent pulled out of the fight and they were desperate to find a replacement.

“Should I have taken the fight? Probably not. But they (monetarily) made it worth my while. It’s my job. I have to go to work.”

Minto took the fight on his own. He said the decision does not affect the two-year contract he signed recently with XCite Fight Promotions, based in Australia.

He also said Whyte will likely be his last heavyweight fight.

“There are a few heavyweights more my size — Shane Cameron was perfect for me — but I need to stay at cruiserweight from here on,” Minto said. “Guys are just getting too big.

“Whyte’s reach advantage on me was ridiculous. My only chance was to get inside on him and that was tough. I actually won the second round, but I couldn’t sustain anything.

“When he put me down in the third, I got to my knees and thought, ‘Do I get up and go to war with this guy?’ I didn’t like my chances,” he added.

Aware of critics who believe he should be retired, Minto shrugs them off.

“That fight was for a (WBC) regional title and if I win it, I’m ranked in the top 10,” he said. “Life’s about taking chances. You get nowhere if you don’t put yourself out there sometimes.

“People can have whatever opinions they want. It’s my life and I’ll live it the way I want. I enjoy fighting. I get up every day and work out hard. It’s nice to be rewarded for it sometimes.”

Minto is 7-6 since losing his WBO cruiserweight title fight to Marco Huck in 2010. The bulk of those losses have come against heavyweights.

Minto has not fought locally since he retired Pierre Karam in the second round at Ghost Riders in 2010— his first bout after the loss to Huck.

“I’d love to do something locally again if it could be worked out,” Minto said. “I won’t fight again for at least 30 days. I didn’t get hurt (against Whyte), but I’ll take the necessary time to rest up and regenerate.

“I’m not discouraged at all. That guy punches hard. I can’t say I went over there expecting to win. I did go over there to fight.”