Amir Khan believes that a win over Chris Algieri on Friday will in turn finally help secure him his shot at Floyd Mayweather in September.
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Khan takes on Algieri at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Friday as he hopes to extend his unbeaten streak in order to end his long wait of securing a fight with Mayweather.
The 38-year-old is expected to return to the ring on September 12 in what is scheduled to be his final fight on his current CBS/Showtime contract, with Mayweather himself conceding that it will be his last fight before he retires.
While he changed his mind momentarily when discussing a rematch with Manny Pacquiao next year, the unbeaten superstar returned to his initial plan and expects to call time on his career later this year.
Meanwhile, Khan (30-3, 19 KOs) insists that he isn’t looking past his next opponent, and even though he suggested earlier this month that he wouldn’t chase the Mayweather fight like before, he seemingly can’t help but mention his rival’s name.
“I have to take care of Chris Algieri and then it will lead me to a big fight with Floyd Mayweather. That’s what happened when Manny Pacquiao beat Algieri and hopefully it happens with me,” he told ESPN.
“I have the same team as Mayweather, Al Haymon, and they have most probably thought lets leave Amir until after this fight and then we can sit down and talk.
“I can do September now. Ramadan is going to be earlier this year and maybe towards the end of Ramadan I can start training. I can most probably still do a 10 or 11 week camp for that fight if it happens.
“It makes it easier having the same adviser. I will leave it to the team and once I get past this fight we will see where we go. If it is a bad performance against Algieri then I don’t think it can happen, but if it’s very good it has to happen.”
It is still unclear as to whether or not Mayweather will realistically consider Khan as a potential last opponent, as there have been mixed signs from his team in the past.
While the fighter himself has previously suggested that Khan hasn’t earned his shot, his father and uncle have both been quoted as saying that the Brit is a possible foe.
It remains to be seen if the bout comes to fruition in September, but Khan is expected to come through against Algieri with few problems in a fight that he should dominate with Mayweather then expected to assess his options and take his pick from a long list of rivals hoping to inflict a first loss on him.
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