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 | | Subject: Amir Khan getting ready to move to Welterweight, Dec 10th will be his last at 140lb Tue Sep 13, 2011 2:37 pm | |
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- Unified junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan plans on having one more fight in the 140-pound division -- Dec. 10 against an opponent to be determined -- before moving up to welterweight, he told ESPN.com.
According to Khan (26-1, 18 KOs) and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, HBO owes Khan another fight this year under the terms of a multi-fight contract.
"Dec. 10 I will be back. I've got a TV date with HBO and I am looking forward to it," Khan told ESPN.com, adding that the fight would take place in the United States. "Opponents are quite hard to get. We asked about (Erik) Morales, but he said no. Bradley (titlist Timothy Bradley Jr.) has said no, just refused to fight me even though we offered him everything he wanted. I really think he just doesn't want to fight me no matter what's on the table.
"It's too bad because the fans want to see it. But I know I am No. 1 in the division and that's what most other people say also because Bradley has not been active and he just won't fight me."
Schaefer said he is negotiating for Khan to face Lamont Peterson of Washington, D.C. Peterson is one of Khan's mandatory challengers.
"That's the fight we are pursuing," Schaefer said. "We are having conversations with Barry Hunter (Peterson's trainer, manager and father figure). "They're interested in the fight. Now we have to see if we can agree on a purse. If we can't, I guess we will go to a purse bid, but we are working on the numbers."
Said Khan, "I think it's a good fight. Peterson is skillful and a good fighter. But I will leave the negotiations to Golden Boy. This will probably be my last fight (at) 140."
After the 27-year-old Peterson battled to a 10-round draw with Victor Ortiz (who went on to win a welterweight belt and defends it against Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Saturday night) on a Khan undercard in December, he was offered a shot at Khan in April.
However, Peterson (29-1-1, 15 KOs) rejected the deal, unhappy with the $300,000-plus offer and the terms of a rematch clause. Khan instead scored a one-sided, six-round technical decision against Paul McCloskey in England. Peterson, meantime, took an eliminator for about $10,000 and knocked out Victor Cayo in the 12th round on July 29.
Unable to lure Bradley, who turned down a career-high payday and 50-50 deal, into the ring, England's Khan instead faced Zab Judah and knocked him out in the fifth round of a dominant performance to unify belts on July 23.
Now, as a mandatory challenger, Peterson can refuse a rematch clause and would be entitled to 25 percent of the money in the event of a purse bid.
"Lamont is a credible opponent. He got a draw with Ortiz, who is now fighting Mayweather," Khan, 24, said. "Now he's my mandatory and it would be a good fight. He wants to fight and I am willing to fight him. That's probably the best fight for me before I move up to welterweight."
The two big names at welterweight are Manny Pacquiao and Mayweather. However, Khan said he would never consider fighting Pacquiao because they are good friends, training partners and are both trained by Freddie Roach. However, Khan does have his eye on an eventual fight with Mayweather.
"I know I will give him a tougher fight than Victor Ortiz will," Khan said. "He's never faced anyone as slick as me."
Schaefer said he does not have a site locked in for Dec. 10 but mentioned Las Vegas, where Khan has fought two of his last three fights, or Detroit, which has a large Muslim population that he thinks would be attracted to Khan, a devout Muslim who recently made a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia during the final week of Ramadan.
"I love fighting in the U.S. My fan base is growing," said Khan, who trains with Roach at his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif. "I'd like to do another fight in New York or Las Vegas or have a fight in Los Angeles. Los Angeles would be a good place. I train there, so it would be like home for me."
Khan also said he was willing to fight in Washington, Peterson's hometown. Khan spent some time in Washington last week and said he enjoyed the city and being recognized on the street. He was in Washington as a guest of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for a Wednesday dinner honoring prominent American Muslim athletes.
Khan said although he is not American, he was invited because he trains and fights regularly in the United States.
"It was good to come to Washington and meet Hillary Clinton," Khan said. "She shook my hand and mentioned me on the podium when she was giving her speech. She called me a good role model for Muslims. That was nice to hear. She had nice words to say to me. We got to take a picture together. It was exciting." http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/6962438/amir-khan-pursuing-lamont-peterson-one-last-fight-140 |
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