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Khan wants Pacquiao showdown after Bradley

Both Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao are trained by Freddie Roach © PA Photos

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Amir Khan will move up to the welterweight division and fight Manny Pacquiao if he overcomes Timothy Bradley, according to trainer Freddie Roach.

After earning a technical decision against Paul McCloskey in the WBA light-welterweight title clash on Saturday, Khan is set for a summer unification showdown against Bradley, who holds the WBC and WBO titles.

And if Khan can find a way past Bradley, he is on course to perform a dramatic U-turn by taking on Pacquiao, having previously insisted he would not fight the Filipino as he is also trained by Roach.

"I want Amir to unify the light-welterweight division by taking on WBC and WBO champion Timothy Bradley," Roach said. "Then I want him to move up to 147lbs and take on the big guys for big money.

"That's the plan we are working on. I know Tim Bradley well and he is one hell of a fighter, but I would put Amir in with him tomorrow and expect my fighter to win. Their fight will determine who is the best at 140lbs and then the winner should go on to 147 and take on Manny Pacquiao. That is my feeling."

Despite the protestations of the McCloskey camp, who were outraged by the decision to stop the fight in the sixth round due to a cut over the Ulsterman's eye, Khan is shunning any talk of a rematch. Whether the premature end to the bout was warranted or not, fears of a mismatch proved well founded, with Khan 60-54 ahead on all three judges' scorecards when the curtain was brought down.

McCloskey's promoter, Barry Hearn, has complained about the early finish, which he called the "worst piece of officiating I have ever seen", to the British Boxing Board of Control and the WBA.

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