• Boxing

Khan ready to dazzle Malignaggi

Amir Khan feels his handspeed will prove too much for Paulie Malignaggi © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Khan slams his light-welterweight rivals
  
• News: Khan's brother to turn pro after Team GB ignore him
  
• News: Roach tips Khan to emulate Pacquiao
  
• News: Khan hits back at his critics
  
• News: Khan cleared to fight Malignaggi after visa delay
  
• Profile: Amir Khan

Amir Khan has told ESPN.com that he is convinced his slick boxing skills will help him overcome Paulie Malignaggi in Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

Khan puts his WBA light-welterweight title on the line in his first fight on American soil and he feels the clash with Malignaggi is a stepping-stone to bigger things. He is not ruling out a future bout with Floyd Mayweather Jnr, but first must overcome Malignaggi.

New Yorker Malignaggi will have the crowd on his side and his slick footwork is seen as a potential problem for Khan, but the Bolton man feels he and trainer Freddie Roach have left no stone unturned.

"The sparring partners I've had have been quicker than he is," Khan said during a webchat on ESPN.com. "I think I'm quicker than him with handspeed and footwork. What I've been working on with Freddie will help me."

Carl Froch recently lost a close fight to Mikkel Kessler in the Danish town of Herning, but Khan is not worried by the prospect of something similar happening on Saturday. "I'm not scared of that," Khan said. "I think I'll have beaten him convincingly. But I don't see it going the full distance. I think we end it before them."

Khan bounced back from defeat to Breidis Prescott to claim the world crown and much of the credit has gone to Roach who has shaped his skills in the ring.

"We've worked a lot on defence and not jumping in," Khan said. "The mistakes I'd make going forward was lunging in. As I'm going into an opponent, I would be jumping into a punch. That makes it a harder punch. Plus I'm at a different weight. It's helping me make the weight much easier. Earlier fights, I was too big, too muscular. Now we have more muscle in the legs."

Click here to view ESPN.com's the full webchat with Amir Khan.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.