Nathan baby’s a belter
KHAN NOT FUSSED BY DESERT STORM
NATHAN GORMAN insists facing Daniel Dubois will be child’s play compared to being at the birth of his daughter.
Baby Valencia was due to be born tomorrow when Gorman will face KO machine Dubois, for the British heavyweight belt.
But she arrived four days early, leaving Gorman free to concentrate on Dubois, who has knocked out 10 of his 11 opponents.
Gorman said: “Luckily I was at home as my plan was to come down to London on Tuesday and she was born at 5am that morning.
“Watching a baby being born is a lot more scary than facing Daniel Dubois – childbirth is a good but scary sensation.
“I was able to see her birth, then hop on the train and come down for the week.
“I got a couple of hours with her, a few kisses and cuddles.
“Her due date was Saturday, and if she had held on I still would have fought.”
The new dad added: “I have to get this job done, then I can be a loving father on Sunday.
“It has been extra motivation because I promised her the belt. I can’t break that.”
AMIR KHAN says he doesn’t care about the flak he is getting for accepting £7m to fight in Saudi Arabia.
He has been criticised for taking the fight because of Saudi’s human rights record, and tonight’s clash with Billy Dib for the new WBC International welterweight title has been branded meaningless because the Australian is a blownup super-featherweight.
Khan says the offer to headline the show in Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City Stadium was too good to refuse.
He claims it gives him the chance to get April’s defeat by Terence Crawford out of his system, when former trainer Virgil Hunter controversially pulled him out after he took a low blow.
“I don’t really care what people say to be honest with you,” said a defiant Khan. “For me it’s something I really wanted to do. I wanted to keep busy and fighting in Saudi Arabia is something new.
“I’m very happy to be here. I don’t really care how the fight turns out – if it’s short or long – I just want to make sure I feel good in the ring and get the Crawford fight out of my system.
“I’ve got a new trainer and I want to try new things. I feel under a little bit less pressure.”
The 32-year-old is hot favourite to beat former IBF featherweight champ Dib, who replaced original opponent Neeraj Goyat at just two weeks’ notice.
Khan weighed in over a pound heavier than Dib.
The two-time light-welterweight champ knows he will be criticised if he wins early or if Dib, 33, takes him the distance. I’m only thinking about myself,” said Khan, who has been in Saudi for nearly three weeks. “I don’t care what anyone else thinks.
“I want to get the rounds in really and see how I feel. I’m not going in chasing a knockout or to take risks, I want to box how I want to fight.
“It’s important I feel good in there after what happened with Crawford because I wouldn’t carry on if I felt I didn’t have what it takes anymore.”
Khan hopes to return to Jeddah to face Manny Pacquiao on November 9 and the Saudis are prepared to bankroll his offer to fight his former gym-mate.
He is also using the fight to launch his Super Boxing League in Saudi with the Jeddah Sharks facing the Jeddah Tigers on the undercard.
■ Amir Khan v Billy Dib is exclusively live on Channel 5 and the undercard on 5Spike tonight.