Floyd Mayweather's Next Fight: Amir Khan and Possible Opponents After Rematch

Floyd Mayweather opted for an immediate rematch with Marcos Maidana after a closely contested bout back in May. It delayed the search for his next opponent, but following a unanimous-decision victory on Saturday night, the hunt now begins anew.

Even before the rematch with the powerful Argentine, the current pound-for-pound king was dropping hints about his next fight. Martin Domin of the Daily Mail passed along comments "Money" made at the BET Awards while confirming the battle with Maidana.

"September 13, back to business, Marcos Maidana vs. Floyd Mayweather Part II," he said. "Then in May, I'll have a big surprise for you."

Now it's only a matter of time before boxing fans find out what the surprise is. Perhaps it's a change of venue after an extended stretch of fights in Las Vegas. As for now, let's check out three of the best challengers available for the sport's biggest star.

Amir Khan

For quite some time Khan has been mentioned as a potential foe for Mayweather. Though they haven't linked up yet, it seems like more of a question of when and where than if at this point. It's a fight that would generate plenty of hype on both sides of the Atlantic.

The British star has also been linked to a fight with Manny Pacquiao. It shows how far he's moved up in the boxing world over the past few years. Donald McRae of The Guardian noted he provided an interesting answer when asked about the different challenges each would pose.

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Boxing is all about timing and Manny and Floyd are getting older. Someone has to take their place. Mayweather would be a very technical fight, like a game of chess," he said. "But I think Manny would be harder. He's much more aggressive and it would be more intense. But with my trainer Virgil Hunter I'm a much better and more defensive fighter.

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If he does end up reaching a deal with Mayweather, those comments should serve as plenty of motivation for the five-division world champion. At the same time, the opportunity to knock off the current pound-for-pound king and further elevate his own career is major motivation for Khan.

It's a fight that would also force a change of approach from Money. After two straight brawls with the powerful Maidana, "King Khan" is a more well-rounded boxer with better defensive ability. It would be a great test.

Danny Garcia

Though Garcia scored a knockout win over Khan back in 2012, he's actually received less attention when it comes to earning a marquee fight. It's a surprise given the fact he backed up that result with victories over Erik Morales and Zab Judah, among others, and also remains undefeated.

His most recent result was a second-round knockout of Rod Salka. It showed he's ready to step up the level of competition for his next bout, but whether it was enough to impress the notoriously picky Mayweather camp is unknown.

Maybe the reason he doesn't generate more hype is the lack of flair. He doesn't blow you away with his skill set in any particular area. He's more of a grinder who's able to use every facet of his ability to create openings and outpoint opponents.

Quite simply, we won't know how good he actually is until he faces off with somebody the caliber of Mayweather or Pacquiao. He would be a solid fallback option should the Money team be unable to figure out something with Khan.

Manny Pacquiao

The list wouldn't be complete without Pacquiao. Yes, the fight isn't as desirable as it would have been a couple years ago, but it's still one that would create a lot of mainstream buzz. That's exactly what boxing needs right now.

It represents an opportunity for the two best fighters of the current era to face off in what would likely be the final truly major bout of their careers. Ben Damon of Main Event TV believes there's still a chance the encounter could happen:

The question is whether the two sides, which have been at odds ever since the idea of Mayweather facing off with Pacquiao became popular, can get on the same page. It goes beyond money too. If that was the only factor there would have been an agreement years ago.

Although it's something that doesn't seem likely to happen, it's definitely worth keeping on the radar after Mayweather's "surprise" comment. He's clearly got something special in mind, and finally facing off with Pacquiao would fit the bill.