• Boxing news

Mayweather scared of losing his perfect record - Khan

Amir Khan's popularity is growing accross the Atlantic © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Angry Khan hints at Prescott rematch
  
• News: Judah disputes Khan result, demands rematch
  
• News: Khan sparks Twitter row with Maidana
  
• News: Khan hoping to anger Bradley by fighting Morales
  
• News: Floyd will try and duck me just like Pacquiao - Khan
  
• Profile: Amir Khan

Amir Khan has reiterated his desire to meet Floyd Mayweather Jr in the ring next year, although the WBA and IBF light-welterweight champion is not convinced the undefeated American wants to fight him.

Khan has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the ranks under the tutelage of legendary trainer Freddie Roach, putting his infamous 2008 defeat to Breidis Prescott well and truly behind him with a series of world class performances.

Training out of the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles along with stablemate Manny Pacquiao, Khan has matured into an elite fighter and is ready to move up a division to join the likes of Mayweather and Pacquiao at welterweight.

A super fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao has long been mooted but, with the fight everybody wants to see still no closer, Khan is ready to step into the breach.

"Maybe next summer the fight against Floyd Mayweather could happen," Khan said. "It is about experience and timing and I think it is my time now. We want to jump there because we have cleaned up the 140lb division. We want to jump in there with the best and beat the best. Every young fighter has ambitions and I am really confident I have the style, speed and power to beat him. I also have the best team around me.

"If the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight doesn't happen I am happy to step in there - but that is if Floyd will take the fight. At the moment he is saying he doesn't want to fight me.

"It is because of all the hard work you put into boxing. If you put a lot of hard work into it people see that hard work, your performances and see you doing really well and they tend to back off. Maybe Floyd doesn't want to get beaten."

Khan, who beat Zab Judah in a unification bout in July, is planning a final light-welterweight title defence in December but the 24-year-old is still waiting to learn who his opponent will be. Mexican Erik Morales was the favourite to get the chance to inflict a second professional defeat on Khan but the Brit has revealed the veteran has now walked away from the negotiating table.

Khan said: "December 10 will be my next fight but we don't know who it will be against yet. We are looking at a few opponents but everyone we try to fight is pulling out. Timothy Bradley had the chance to fight me in an undisputed unification fight and he turned it down because he knew he was going to get beaten.

"Erik Morales told us on Friday that he doesn't want to fight me. Maybe they are all afraid. There are only a few people we can pick now because I am the number one in this division."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.