Amir Khan: ‘If The Pacquiao-Mayweather Fight Falls Through, I Think I Have To Be The Next Fighter To Face Mayweather’

Amir Khan believes that he has proven himself worthy of a bout with undefeated fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr. Khan thinks that he has already showcased his abilities in his recent fights to earn a shot at Mayweather’s perfect record.

Time is running out for Manny Pacquiao to tie Mayweather down to a contract to fight in May. It has initially been reported that Pacquiao is giving Mayweather only until the end of January to answer his challenge to fight. However, as the ultimatum date draws nearer, the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight took another step closer to coming into fruition after Pacquiao and Mayweather met face to face during an NBA game recently. Still, Khan is ready for a chance to take over the role of Mayweather’s next opponent if the undefeated fighter chooses not to fight Pacquiao.

“If that fight falls through, I think I have to be the next fighter to face Mayweather because I’ve proven myself in many ways,” Khan told Sky Sports. “Mayweather wanted me to prove myself at 147 lbs, which I did by beating Luis Collazo and then by moving up and beating Devon Alexander -- two top guys in the welterweight division who were both coming off good wins.”

According to Khan, Mayweather should just fight him instead of Pacquiao because a bout with him is more attainable since they are both under Al Haymon. In addition to having the same manager, Khan is being promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, which works with Mayweather’s own company, Mayweather Promotions.

Recently, the Bolton-born welterweight boxer also had the opportunity to meet Pacquiao during the Filipino’s trip to London. The Daily Mail reported that Khan and Pacquiao talked about a potential blockbuster fight in the near future, which will be staged either at Wembley Stadium in London or in Abu Dhabi.

For now, both Khan and Pacquiao will have to wait for Mayweather’s decision. If Mayweather picks Pacquiao, Khan will have to go to plan B and fight other opponents. If Mayweather decides to fight Miguel Cotto, which was speculated to be another contender for Mayweather’s Cinco De Mayo fight after it was announced that the Cotto-Canelo fight failed to materialise, then there is a great chance that Khan will opt to face Pacquiao instead.

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