Khan didn't intentionally want to stand toe to toe with Madaina........(frightening)

[Kagami Taiga]

nahh he didnt wanna stand toe to toe, come on man!!! even if he did at first, the minute he got hit, there was no way in hell he was still trying to fight in the pocket. he was just trying to survive at that point.

[Ishy Aytan]

If you read his interviews before the fight it was Khan's idea to stand toe to toe with Maidana. He wanted to be more aggressive and he was.

He said before the fight he was gonna box because madaina's a hard puncher. Roach went as far as saying Khan would get KO'd if he stood toe-to-toe.

[elhijoprodigo]

This was Khan during the secon half of the fight:

GIFSoup

[MACAQUEINBLACK]

He stood with Maidana much more than he stood with Kotelnik who is a weak puncher.

Aggression was always going to have to be a factor to keep the puncher off, though; Maidana has greater footspeed than Kotelnik besides being a harder puncher, so some aggression was required to keep him off and slow down his attacks, aggression that wasn't required against Kotelnik (a fight that took place when Roach and co. were still at an early stage of their development of Khan, so extra conservatism that night was understandable).

For me, it was obvious Khan's gameplan was to engage with Maidana and trade punches rather than to box and move the whole night.

Well, it seems obvious to me that the gameplan was to jab, jab, keep him off balance with the stick and angles, unload with power when he can't hit you back, move away. That seems much likelier/smarter to me and that's how Roach laid it out beforehand in interviews.

Amir's said he trusts Freddie and his gameplans, so I don't think there's any chance that the intention was to "trade".

Khan could have won the fight easily behind his jab, but he has to be credited with taking the fight to Maidana (his kryptonite) instead of running the whole evening. He may not have stood toe to toe for the whole matchup, but he traded with Maidana a whole lot more than could be expected from such a weak chinned fighter.

Khan should get credit, anyway, without creating any extra for him. Aggressive is something he intended to be, but intelligently so.

I fully believe that the idea was to box according to the gameplan I just described in the above paragraphs; and it's taking credit away from Maidana to say that Khan allowed himself to be hit. The exchanges were entirely down to Maidana proving a very good match for Khan at this stage of his development.

Amir didn't once consciously trade; exchanges happened because Maidana was good enough and pressured well enough to catch up with Khan and hit him quite often.

The gameplan for Khan was never to exchange, that's foolish. Maidana made that happen, because Khan isn't the flawless technician and he does and probably always will make lapses in high-pressure situations. When you're under pressure is when you're most tested, and Maidana's pressure is what made Amir lapse, it had nothing to do with wanting to get into an epic, bloody battle. His mental composure and ring IQ are not the greatest, but his heart is Lionlike and that's what ultimately kept his strap around his waist.

As for being "weak chinned"; what I've said on a few occasions here in the last year is that people shouldn't be surprised at all if the change in his body composition, the shifting of muscle from his upper body to his legs and the extra 5lbs in weight didn't help him take decent, flush, hard shots when we finally saw him hit with some again. After being one of the more positive guys as regards his punch resistance, even I was taken aback at just how much punishment he proved able to weather; so he definitely has a decent chin at least. Not what I'd regard as weak.

Yeah, it was an inspiring performance, but he needs to improve his defence and stick to boxing at range from now on. Bradley may not have power, but he pressures effectively and throws a lot of punches. Khan can't afford to get into a scrap with him or he will lose rounds. However, I'm confident that if he sticks behind his jab, works the body, and defends his chin, he can beat anybody at 140-147.

Re. worries for Khan supporters.

His ring IQ isn't great. He was claimed to be a super-intelligent technician post-Malignaggi, but I didn't see it. The Maidana fight has brought the truth to light somewhat.
That relative lack of ring IQ coupled with the fact that he doesn't have a fully rounded skillset means he isn't really equipped to make dramatic adjustments mid-fight against a range of styles. And he will need to adjust in the fight against Bradley.

This is why I've been saying all along while others were talking about Bradley being a midget and this and that, that Bradley is such a hard fight for Khan to win. It is. Bradley very well can adjust in the fight and he very well does have a fully rounded skillset.

Also, Bradley shouldn't be totally overlooked power-wise. He isn't a puncher, but he's not the featherfist some claim. He's heavily dropped guys with good chins, Witter, Cherry...Peterson went on his pants-seat, too, IIRC. And he has his own mean overhand right; don't think that he won't have noted Amir's susceptibility to a good one.


A note on Amir's power, which (like his ring intelligence) has also been slightly overstated by some. He overwhelms and forces stoppages with the volume and speed of his punches. Against really durable guys who get up and keep ticking, like Maidana, like Bradley, his power generally won't as devastating (although there is always potential for him to drop an opponent on a big shot they don't see).
I put some faith in Khan with my prediction that he could stop Maidana (I was being consciously very positive with my projection) and he truthfully never came close except for the spiteful bodyshot. He's a dynamic kind of puncher, but he doesn't possess a Manny Pac kind of damaging power.
This is why he really has to play the part of a carefully aggressive boxer and keep trying to improve at that.

[MACAQUEINBLACK]

This was Khan during the secon half of the fight:

GIFSoup

Elbitchogrande,


you are a hopeless bender.

[Frank Ducketts]

Why would any fighter fight another mans fight first off? Second, Khan fought his fight until he got stunned. Yes Maidana has a strong will, but he clearly lost.

[Frank Ducketts]

I didn't like Khan before his fight with Maidana. I respect him because he took a great shot, and still hung on to win. Khan learned a lot from this fight as did Maidana. Khan is still suspect imo... He has a lot more to prove to the boxing world...

[MACAQUEINBLACK]

I liked Nazzy's description of Khan, a heart the size of a bucket of gold...that's what Amir's about, willing and heart, always has been.


Maidana was immense, also. It's my belief that they matched each other for fortitude and all-around quality on the night (hearing Maidana repeatedly being referred to as "crude" was sickening; he's too awkward and good at what he does to be described as that). Amir won only by a hair by my card. Great performances, Great fight, FOTY.




ps. tim, I told you I'd be backing Amir if he signed for that fight. i'll be supporting him for Bradley or Alexander, too.

[No-mas-tias]

I don't care if you come into the ring with a plan and the mindset of boxing, unless you're a Floyd Mayweather Jr it is so hard to avoid having to trade with your opponent on occasions because he'll eventually cut the ring on you and force you to fight.

Khan is an OK boxer but not somenone that can live in this sport with a jab and defense.

[mani1]

Ditto, otherwise he is going to get that fragile chin poped....again.

At least he didnt get rocked by a blown up super feather weight fighting at jnr middle.