Floyd Mayweather vs. Amir Khan Fight 'Possible' for September Despite Ramadan
Amir Khan has suggested Muslim festival Ramadan won't stop him from fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. if a bout can be scheduled for the middle of September.
Ramadan ends on July 17, which Khan believes would give him enough opportunity to get into shape for a shot at the 48-0 American.
David Anderson of the Mirror reported Khan's comments about facing Mayweather after the month of strict fasting:
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
"I've not ruled it out. It's possible I could fight in September. He (Mayweather) normally fights in mid-September. Ramadan is going to be a bit earlier this year so that helps. It gives me enough time to get the training done and everything, so it can happen in September.
"
Khan attended Mayweather's unanimous-decision win over Manny Pacquiao on May 2. He suggests there was a clamouring for him to get in the ring with "Pretty Boy," per Anderson:
"When I was at the fight, the fans were coming up to me, talking about the big one and saying I should fight Floyd next. I was telling them I'm fighting (Chris) Algieri next. I need to win this fight if I'm going to get anywhere near the big names in boxing."
Losing to Chris Algieri will eliminate Khan from the Mayweather equation forever. High-profile losses to Lamont Peterson and Danny Garcia weigh heavy on Khan's record, so he cannot afford to rack up what would be a third defeat in four years.
Algieri possesses an excellent 30-1 record, per Boxrec. He was unbeaten until he faced Pacquiao in November 2014 but has overcome an array of challenging opponents in Jose Peralta Alejo, Emmanuel Taylor and Ruslan Provodnikov in recent times. Khan's speed should push Algieri to the limit, and if the Brit effectively executes his game plan, it's likely he'll pick up the win.
The prospect of a Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch continues to loom large, particularly with suggestions an injury to Pacquiao's right shoulder stopped him being 100 percent fit for the original fight, reported by Dan Rafael of ESPN.
Bleacher Report's Adam Lefkoe and Corey Erdman of Fight Network discussed the so-called "Fight of the Century" in its aftermath:
However, Floyd Sr. believes his son should take on an "easy" fight with Khan, reported by Dave Kidd of the Mirror:
"I’ll tell you what I think my son should do in September—given he’s fought all the hard-hitters—my son needs to get his contract and end it with an easy fight, he don’t need no tough fights.
Amir Khan? Yes, that’d be a good fight for him. My son would beat him, I know. Of course it would be easier than Pacquiao. Khan has a pretty decent jab but all the technical things, he can’t do (them).
"
First thing's first: Khan needs to take care of business. Beating Algieri will identify him as a lead prospect to face Mayweather, but Floyd is likely to have the ultimate say on what is destined to be his final fight, reported by Bryan Graham of The Guardian.
Mayweather's last three September fights have taken place on the 13th, 14th and 17th, so Ramadan is unlikely to be an issue if the pair can agree terms.
Khan has worked hard to receive a shot at the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, but he knows Algieri represents yet another hurdle en route to stepping into the ring with a sporting legend.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
