• Welterweight

Mayweather Jr plays down Khan bout

ESPN staff
May 1, 2013
Floyd Mayweather Jr has told Amir Khan not to rush through his career © Getty Images
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WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr has cooled recent reports that he is to fight Amir Khan later this year, but confirmed that he will return to the ring in September.

Mayweather Jr, unbeaten in 43 professional bouts, defends his title against Robert 'The Ghost' Guerrero in Las Vegas on May 5, but played down advisor Leonard Ellerbe's claims that he was planning a bout in the UK later this year.

Ellerbe suggested that Mayweather Jr is keen to fight on British soil within the next 18 months and hinted at a potential welterweight fight with Khan, but the 36-year-old American stated that his attention was solely on Guerrero.

"I will fight in September," Mayweather Jr said. "My main focus right now is Robert. It's like I was telling (journalist) Kevin Iole, everybody wants to fight me.

"I just want to focus [on Robert] and take it one fight at a time. If that fight [with Khan] presents itself in the future, that will happen. Right now I just want to focus on the guy in front of me.

"I didn't say that [a fight with Khan was a possibility]. The last time I faced a guy [from the UK] he was undefeated and we took him to the doghouse and you saw what happened."

'Money' also stated that he had previously spoken to Bolton-born Khan, advising the 26-year-old not to rush through his career as he begins to climb up through the weight classes.

"I told [Khan] before too, 'just take your time. If you get here, you will get here,'" Mayweather Jr added. "Right now my focus is the guy right in front of me.

"After that I don't know what's next. We try to take it one fight at a time."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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