By Edward Chaykovsky
British star Amir Khan (31-3, 19KOs) is rejecting the idea that he's pursuing Floyd Mayweather Jr. (48-0, 26KOs) to get a big payday.
Khan has been chasing Mayweather since 2013. He got passed over twice in favor of Marcos Maidana. He was convinced that a fight with Mayweather would come around on September 12th, but instead his training stablemate Andre Berto is getting the nod instead.
Khan says a fight with Mayweather is to prove that he's the best fighter in the welterweight division.
"I’d fight Floyd Mayweather for peanuts because I know that stylistically I can give him the biggest problems he’s ever had. I might have a harder fight with Manny Pacquiao and beat him but then I might have Mayweather and find it easier to beat him. It’s all about styles," Khan told Sport360.
"In the 70s and 80s all the top fighters fought each other but it’s not like that anymore, it’s like a business. I still could have been unbeaten if I’d picked the fights. But I just fought whoever was put in front of me. When I fought [Breidis] Prescott he had 19 fights and 18 knockouts, perhaps I shouldn’t have taken it – but I did."
Mayweather is billing his next fight as the final bout of his pro career. Khan doubts Mayweather will retire on the back of a victory over serious undercard like Berto.
"No [I don't think he'll retire]. People say Mayweather’s fighting Berto. Is it a good opponent for him or is it just getting that contract out the way, having that 49th fight and getting it out the way? But why end his career on a low note? People remember you for your last fight. Why does he want to match Rocky Marciano’s record when he can beat it? I hope that it goes the way that there’s a 50th fight," Khan said.