By Jake Donovan

In what is being billed as an unofficial eliminator in the Floyd Mayweather sweepstakes, Amir Khan faces former two-division champ Devon Alexander in a 12-round welterweight bout Saturday evening at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. 

Both fighters came in at the 147 lb. divisional limit for the headlining act of a SHOWTIME-televised quadrupleheader.

No belt is at stake, but the winner is in the running to serve as Mayweather's next opponent in May, assuming the pound-for-pound king makes his ring return at that time.

The televised co-feature pits unbeaten welterweights Keith Thurman and Leonard Bundu in a 12-round interim title fight. 

Thurman (23-0, 21KOs) tipped the scales at 146 lb. Bundu (31-0-2, 11KOs) came in at a shredded 146.5 lb. for his first bout in the United States and third straight fight outside of his native Italy.

Former three-divison titlist Abner Mares faces Jose Ramirez in a 10-round bout, to be fought at a catchweight of 128 lb.

Mares (27-1-1, 14KOs)—who held titles at bantamweight, super bantamweight and featherweight—came in at 127 lb., while Ramirez (25-4, 15KOs) was well over the limit at 131 lb. He has one hour to lose the weight, or will be subject to a fine and runs the risk of the bout being canceled. 

Opening the SHOWTIME-televised quadrupleheader, Jermall Charlo (19-0, 15KOs) takes on Lenny Bottai (22-2, 9KOs) in a super welterweight elimination bout. 

Both fighters came in right at the 154 lb. divisional limit. The winner will become the mandatory challenger to newly crowned titlist Cornelius Bundrage, who dethroned Carlos Molina earlier this fall.

 

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com, as well as a member of Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox