Floyd Mayweather has ruled out fighting you. Is that frustrating for you?
It’s very frustrating. I’m still going to chase my dream and I think that fight could still happen. If it doesn’t, then it means Mayweather is very scared and he knows he’ll get beat. We know that he’s a great fighter, I’m not taking that away from him, but I really think that he’s afraid and he knows that Amir Khan’s movement is explosive and his fitness is going to be too much for him. Mayweather has one fight left and he doesn’t want to end his whole career on a low note.
There’s talk about a possible fight with Kell Brook in November. Is that true?
If a Kell Brook fight’s going to happen it will be in 2016. There are levels in boxing and my name is getting mentioned with Manny Pacquiao and Mayweather – the biggest names in boxing. Kell Brook isn’t getting mentioned among those guys, so I want Kell to prove himself with some big name fights and beat them. So when we meet, it’s a big fight financially, and it will be known around the world. A fight like that would be able to sell out Wembley Arena, but at the moment I don’t think it would.
You and Manny Pacquiao were sparring partners at Freddie Roach’s gym in LA. Freddie has publicly said that there’s no point in Manny fighting you, ‘because it’s no big fight’. What are your thoughts?
Other than Mayweather, I’m the biggest name in boxing. I’m not going to say anything about the sparring sessions because Freddie was there, but I can honestly say I never got beaten up. All I can say is that I was told not to ever spar with him again after a few sessions. I like Freddie, he’s a good trainer, but he sometimes says things that he shouldn’t say.
Is it true you want to take on Manny in Dubai?
I’d like to, yeah, in March 2016. Geographically, the Philippines, Pakistan and India aren’t too far and you have UK expats here. I think it would be a 50/50 fight with fan support.
You want to start a boxing academy in Dubai. What can we expect?
At the moment I’m in talks with a few people. I just want to get more people involved in the sport. It would be for kids and adults. I have my Amir Khan Academy in Bolton, Manchester and it’s going really well. I’m also thinking about opening one in London and Pakistan.
What’s your next goal?
I’m still young, there are a few big fights left out there for me. Fighting in Dubai is something I want to do, and being a people’s champion really. I’m going to go back home to the drawing board. I’ll sit down with my trainer and advisor and see who they think I should fight and just go from there.
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