WBA light-welterweight champion Amir Khan has set his sights on handing a first defeat to pound-for-pound star Floyd Mayweather Jnr.
Khan is scheduled to face IBF title holder Zab Judah on July 23 in Las Vegas but is already planning further into the future.
Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer recently revealed that talks over a clash between Khan and the American veteran have begun, with November 2012 pencilled in as the date.
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And now the 24-year-old Brit has given his own thoughts on the proposed bout with Mayweather, whose much-anticipated clash with Khan’s stablemate Manny Pacquiao has so far failed to materialise.
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“I think if the fight takes place, it will be me and Floyd. Me and Floyd will probably happen before Manny and Floyd,” Khan said.
Khan says he wants to test himself against the biggest names in the sport and is confident that he has the tools to beat the undefeated five-weight world champion.
He added: “It’s very exciting. These are goals that I’ve always wanted to achieve – to fight the best in the world. And I might get the chance to fight one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet.
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“Me and Manny Pacquiao will never fight each other but Floyd Mayweather is a name that I can fight. He’s been rated the best fighter pound-for-pound in the world for years and years.
“I really think I’d do well against him. The next year will give me more experience and I think I’ve got the skills to beat him. It’s a timing game and I think timing wise it will work out perfectly.”
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But the Olympic silver medallist also knows that he cannot afford to lose focus on his upcoming bout with Judah, who himself has held world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight.
“We know Zab Judah is a very dangerous fighter with both hands. He’s got power, he’s got speed, he’s got angles. He’s got a lot of experience and we need to beat that,” he
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Meanwhile, Khan also went on to pay tribute to Ricky Hatton who officially announced his retirement from boxing earlier on Thursday.
“He came to America and I’m here now trying to fill his boots,” Khan said of the Mancunian. “Hopefully I can achieve what he achieved or even more.
“It’s great to have someone like him to look up to because he’s a great champion. He’ll never be forgotten. He was very exciting to watch.”
“One thing about Ricky is he’s always very supportive. He’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.
“We did a joint promotion when I fought Paul McCloskey and hopefully we can continue that relationship.”
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