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Amir Khan looks poised to defend his WBA light-welterweight title against New York-based Ukrainian Dmitri Salita before the end of the year.
Salita, who has an undefeated 30-0-1 record, is the mandatory challenger and has been in talks with Khan's promoter Frank Warren over a potential December match-up.
While the Englishman is already looking forward to bigger fights in the future, Salita looks like the perfect option at this stage of his career.
"We've been in talks with them and nothing has been confirmed but I'd like to fight him," Khan said.
"He's a mandatory for the title, but I don't see what the big hoo-ha is about, because at the end of the day, if they really want the fight and I'm giving Salita a chance to fight for my title, I think he should grab that with both hands.
"He might never get that chance again and I think it will be a big fight. He's a number one contender and I think he's the ideal fight for me at this moment in time.
"He's an American and I want to build my name up in America, so this is a fight to target."
New Venue
But while the 22-year-old is itching to make a name for himself in the States, the first defence of his title will take place in the UK.
"I'm looking towards December time, although I don't know when in December, and I'd like to pick a venue where I haven't boxed before, in the UK," he added.
"We've fought in Manchester a few times, in London a few times, Birmingham a few times, but we'd like to go somewhere we haven't fought before.
"We'll have a sit down with Frank Warren - I'll leave that for my business team to look after and I'll just concentrate on the training. By the time I'm in my training camp in a couple of weeks, everything should be confirmed."
And Khan believes that a year from now he could be in line to fight one of the big names in the light-welterweight division, including the likes of training partner Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.
That pair could fight next year provided Pacquiao gets past Miguel Cotto in November, and Khan says he could be in position to fight one of them in 12 months time.
"But I'm the same weight as well and one day in the future maybe there could be a fight down the line for me.
"At the moment we're taking our time and Salita is hopefully the next man for me.
"But from there the tougher fights and the bigger names will start coming. In a year's time I think I'll be in the same mix as them with the likes of Marquez, Mayweather and Manny."
Salita, who has an undefeated 30-0-1 record, is the mandatory challenger and has been in talks with Khan's promoter Frank Warren over a potential December match-up.
While the Englishman is already looking forward to bigger fights in the future, Salita looks like the perfect option at this stage of his career.
"We've been in talks with them and nothing has been confirmed but I'd like to fight him," Khan said.
"He's a mandatory for the title, but I don't see what the big hoo-ha is about, because at the end of the day, if they really want the fight and I'm giving Salita a chance to fight for my title, I think he should grab that with both hands.
"He might never get that chance again and I think it will be a big fight. He's a number one contender and I think he's the ideal fight for me at this moment in time.
"He's an American and I want to build my name up in America, so this is a fight to target."
New Venue
But while the 22-year-old is itching to make a name for himself in the States, the first defence of his title will take place in the UK.
"I'm looking towards December time, although I don't know when in December, and I'd like to pick a venue where I haven't boxed before, in the UK," he added.
"We've fought in Manchester a few times, in London a few times, Birmingham a few times, but we'd like to go somewhere we haven't fought before.
"We'll have a sit down with Frank Warren - I'll leave that for my business team to look after and I'll just concentrate on the training. By the time I'm in my training camp in a couple of weeks, everything should be confirmed."
And Khan believes that a year from now he could be in line to fight one of the big names in the light-welterweight division, including the likes of training partner Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.
That pair could fight next year provided Pacquiao gets past Miguel Cotto in November, and Khan says he could be in position to fight one of them in 12 months time.
"But I'm the same weight as well and one day in the future maybe there could be a fight down the line for me.
"At the moment we're taking our time and Salita is hopefully the next man for me.
"But from there the tougher fights and the bigger names will start coming. In a year's time I think I'll be in the same mix as them with the likes of Marquez, Mayweather and Manny."
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