by Edward Chaykovsky
IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook (36-0, 25KOs) has laughed off the MMA ambitions of Amir Khan (31-4, 19KOs), who recently said he was willing to train for a fight in the UFC with their featherweight champion Conor McGregor.
During an interview last week, Khan said he was impressed with Brook's decision to to move up by thirteen pounds to 160, on September 10, to face WBC/IBO/IBF/WBA world champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin. Khan also said he "hates" Brook and wants to pound him in the ring.
The two fighters have been verbally feuding for several years. In recent months the media have linked the two boxers because of their similar career decisions. Khan moved up by eight pounds back in May to challenge Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, at a catch-weight of 155, for the WBC middleweight title.
Kell Brook thinks Amir Khan is trying to steal the spotlight by talking about making a switch to MMA. The Sheffield-born fighter has hit out at his long-time British rival in the build up to his clash against Gennady Golovkin at London's O2 Arena on 10 September, suggesting Khan is jealous of the attention he is receiving.
Khan's comments have reached Brook. He feels Khan's chatter about MMA is a tool to generate media attention.
"I don't know if he wants a bit of attention talking about MMA," Brook told IBTimes UK. "He's said that he hates me, that he wants to fight me... I don't know if he's on his period or what. You know, he's not on my mind.
"Like I said, I want that fight for the fans. But I don't need him. I've got Triple G and there are other massive fights out there. So if he wants to let the fans down, don't fight."
Brook previously stated that there is no comparison between his upcoming fight with Golovkin, and Khan's fight with Canelo - because Khan is a totally different fighter. Brook was struggling to make the welterweight limit of 147 and actually walks around at a bigger weight than Golovkin, while Khan had to build his body up to the middleweight level.
"I think Amir Khan was coming up in weight and putting the weight on. I’m actually coming down to make 160. I’m naturally a bigger guy. It’s really hard for me to make 147 - there’s no secret about that. [Khan] hasn’t got the chin I’ve got. He hasn’t got the toughness. He hasn’t got the power I’ve got. It’s a completely different fight with me in there - and you’re going to see on the night,” said Brook to BoxingScene.com's Declan Taylor.
"Everyone has their opinion. It's happened before in history. With Muhammad Ali, everyone wrote him off against Sonny Liston. He went in there and shocked the world and beat him, and look at what he went on to do. It's like Sugar Ray Leonard against Hagler. That's what's exciting about this fight, to go in there and prove to fans that I'm the man."
