By Edward Chaykovsky

Former world champion Barry McGuigan, who now manages and promotes fighters like IBF world champion Carl Frampton, says Amir Khan (31-3, 19KOs) is taking a very dangerous step by moving up in weight to challenge Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (46-1-1, 32KO) for the WBC middleweight world title at a catch-weight of 155-pounds.

Their HBO Pay-Per-View fight is taking place at on May 7th from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. 

While some are trying to play down the size difference, McGuigan says Canelo's mass is going to be a very significant factor in the contest.

Khan has chosen to take on a fully fledged middleweight world champion having never fought beyond welter. Forget the 155 pound catch-weight. When Alvarez walks into the ring he will be a light heavyweight, as much as 20 pounds heavier.Canelo walks around at 200 pounds, Khan at maybe 160.Canelo is not tall but he is the naturally heavier man,"McGuigan told The Mirror. "This would be a huge gamble between two men in the street. In a professional ring it’s a problem."

McGuigan understands that Khan studied some of the 2013 footage where Floyd Mayweather Jr. dominated Canelo over twelve rounds at 152-pounds, but points out that Khan is no Mayweather.

Like many others have stated, McGuigan says Khan is in a no-lose situation by moving up by nearly two weight divisions to face a much larger fighter for a world title.

"Khan has obviously thought this through. He will have seen how Floyd Mayweather Jnr took away Canelo’s tools and reasoned he can do the same. The flaw in that thinking is this, there is only one Floyd Mayweather. Yes Khan has quick hands like Mayweather, throws punches at bewildering speed and in flurries, but his footwork is simply not as good. Nobody’s is," McGuigan said.

"Neither does he use the ring in the same way. In short he does not have the same defensive skills and spacial awareness as Mayweather. No shame in that. He is a different type of fighter, attacking, likes a tear up. He will have seen how opponents like Austin Trout had some success early on, knowing that Canelo fights at a relatively moderate pace. Trout took him the distance but he is a much bigger unit that Khan, and that is significant. I admire him for taking control. It is a very, very ballsy move and entirely typical of the man. He obviously thinks he can pull it off and if he doesn’t, reckons there is no downside in losing to Canelo on his terms."