Khan v Pacman would be an ‘amazing fight’
LONDON: British boxer Amir Khan said yesterday his team is negotiating a fight with Manny Pacquiao in what would be the Filipino great’s final bout before taking to full-time politics.
Winner of world titles in eight different weight classes, the 36-year-old Pacquiao is recovering from a surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff following his defeat to Floyd Mayweather in May.
Already a member of the country’s lower house of representatives, Pacquiao wanted to fight Mayweather again in April before focussing on his political career, but the American has said he has since retired with a 49-0 record.
“It would be an amazing fight, two fighters who know each other really well,” Khan, said. “We have trained together, sparred together and obviously I have left it to my team. If the fight happens, it would be an amazing fight, it would be a big fight.”
A former world light welterweight champion, Khan possesses, among other things, an Olympic silver medal from the 2004 Athens Games and he said the governing body of amateur boxing (AIBA) might allow the professionals to fight in the Olympics. “I was with the president of the AIBA, and he said they would like to have professionals in the Olympics. So I think that could be something that may happen in the future.”
Khan has also taken interest in mixed martial arts, having acquired an undisclosed stake in Super Fight League (SFL), an India-based MMA promotion. Looking ahead, he did not rule out taking the MMA plunge at some point.
“You never know. Maybe one day, I’m still too young,” he said– Reuters