By Mark Vester
Amir Khan (15-0, 12KOs), mandatory challenger to BBBofC British lightweight champion Jon Thaxton (33-7, 18KOs), can't wait to get his hands on the champion. As previously reported, purse bids for Thaxton-Khan have to be submitted by January 9, with the fight taking place no later than the end of April.
Khan, coming off a 72-second knockout of Graham Earl, is returning to the ring on Feb. 2 at the Echo Arena against Danish fighter Martin Kristjansen. Thaxton, made famous by his bloody war with Ricky Hatton in 2000, has built a record of 12-0, 9KOs since 2002, with wins over Lee Meager, Scott Lawton and Dave Stewart in his last three appearances in the ring.
"I'm one of those guys who wants to win everything in the division. I want it all, if it's out there I'll go for it. My big plan for 2008 is to get the first fight against Martin Kristjansen out of the way and then I'd love to fight Jon Thaxton for the British title - as long as he still has it. I'd love to shut him up," Khan told the Bolton News. "I want the British title and to then move on to the European title, and then the world title. And it will happen next year, it's going to be a busy one."
Khan told the Sunday People that he's learned to adapt to different styles of fighting in the ring and plans to utilize that ability against more experienced opponents.
"I have learned how to cope with the different type of fights, with being knocked down, winning the Commonwealth title, being rated high in the British rankings and being in the top 10 in the world. Everything has gone well for me," Khan said. "The Willie Limond fight when I was knocked down was definitely the biggest learning curve for me. People wanted to see how I'd cope when I was under pressure and how I'd cope when things weren't going right, and I coped well. Every fighter goes down and gets back up, it's all about the way you come back. I've shown I've got the power and the speed, and now the heart as well."
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