By Declan Taylor

LONDON – WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) will make his first title defense of 2016 against former two-time world champion and resurgent contender Amir “King” Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) on May 7, Cinco De Mayo weekend at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, in a match-up of two of the biggest stars in boxing. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View.

Golden Boy Promotions will exclusively promote the fight, with Khan returning to his former home at Golden Boy Promotions for the showdown. The mega-fight promises high-intensity action between two of boxing’s most popular and powerful fighters competing in the primes of their careers. Information regarding, the venue, ticket availability and a press tour for the fight will be announced in the coming weeks.

At the age of 25, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico's Canelo Alvarez, the current WBC, Ring Magazine, and Lineal Middleweight World Champion has conquered the boxing world, captivating fans both at home and around the globe with his action-packed fighting style, charisma and willingness to take on the toughest challenges.

On November 21, 2015, Alvarez defeated future Hall-of-Famer Miguel Cotto for the WBC, RING Magazine and Lineal Middleweight Championship in front of a packed arena at the Mandalay Events Center in Las Vegas and more than 900,000 homes across the country. The unanimous decision victory cemented Canelo’s status as boxing’s biggest draw and among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Bolton, Lancashire, England native, Amir “King” Khan catapulted into the media spotlight after winning the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Khan turned professional on July 16, 2005 with a first round technical knockout victory over Phil Edwards. Most recently he secured the WBC Silver Welterweight and the WBA International Welterweight Titles against Luis Collazo in May 2014, and defending his titles in spectacular fashion against former three-time world champion Devon “The Great” Alexander in December 2014 and former WBO Super Lightweight World Champion Chris Algieri in May 2015.