• Welterweight

Floyd and Khan 'will fight in future'

Floyd Mayweather has said a fight with Amir Khan "will happen" eventually having snubbed him in favour of Argentine Marcos Maidana for his next bout, according to promoters Golden Boy.

Khan had been favourite to secure a huge payday by fighting Mayweather on May 3, and had even turned down a world title fight against Devon Alexander having believed the bout with the American was already secure.

After being overlooked, Khan released a statement expressing his frustration.

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But Richard Schaefer, chief executive of Golden Boy, has revealed Mayweather gave him a message to pass on to Khan, suggesting he is still open to a future fight.

"I saw Floyd on Monday night at the Los Angeles Lakers basketball game and he was telling me, 'tell Amir that it's not going to happen now, but it will happen'," said Schaefer.

"So he's definitely open to eventually fighting Amir."

Schaefer also insisted Khan was unlucky to miss out, saying that Maidana's shock win over Mayweather's close friend Adrien Broner raised interest in a potential match-up with the Argentine.

He said: "What Maidana did to Broner really changed the dynamics. Mayweather and the fight fans in the US, and the US media felt that Maidana was the bigger fight, more dangerous fight at this particular point for Floyd.

"That doesn't mean that a fight between Amir Khan and Mayweather is never going to happen. I believed it then and I believe it now that Amir Khan has the skills and that one weapon - which I think is going to give Floyd Mayweather a lot of problems - and that is his hand speed.

"Amir's the fastest fighter in the world. He can clearly give trouble to Mayweather, so I believe that fight is going to happen. It's just not now."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd