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Humans have successfully hunted and killed lions, and lions can definitely kill a human.
I think it depends on the arena. Believe it or not, I think the human has better chances in the wild. Human endurance is our superpower, and you could keep scaring the lion with loud armor noises until it collapsed from exhaustion.
In a cage match, I think the lion wins. A knight's sword in any era is not designed for hunting. If the knight was using a lance or a pike, that would be a better choice, but I think maneuverability is the biggest liability for the knight. Mail armor would deflect scratches, and full plate armor might prevent bites to the covered areas, but once the lion has the knight on the ground, it wouldn't matter how much protection he has. Proximity benefits the lion, and there's no question who is faster and stronger.
Still, humans have killed lions without any armor, so it's any given sunday and all that.
Edit to add a dramatic reenactment of such a battle.
Animals are pretty predictable in their attacks. A sword would give any half intelligent armored knight the absolute edge. A competent swordsman will know a few cuts will send the lion reeling. If they're well placed, it's deadly.
It really depends on what sort of knight we're talking about. Despite how they are portrayed in movies, swords were more for ceremony than for fighting, and could have been anything from a dagger to a saber to a broadsword. Full plate armor is designed for mounted combat, and most duels were won by whoever knocked the other guy down first.
One good swing could kill a lion, I'm sure, but if you miss, or it doesn't kill the lion, then the lion will pounce and knock down the knight. Even lightweight armor would be 30-60 lbs, and once you're down, the lion has won.