"I was thinking what am I doing here?"
Amir Khan has opened up on his 2016 bout against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, admitting he was “too brave for his own good”.
The Bolton boxer has spent most of his career competing between lightweight (135lbs) and welterweight (147lbs).
But he accepted a deal with Canelo’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya to go up two weight divisions and challenge for the WBC middleweight belt.
The fight announcement took everybody by surprise.
Khan had early success, using his speed to land punches on Canelo.
However, the Mexican brutally knocked out Khan in round six.
Khan has now reflected on the fight, calling it a “mismatch”.
He also revealed that he only took the fight after unsuccessfully chasing a fight against Floyd Mayweather.
Khan told iNews: “When Oscar called me I couldn’t say no. Maybe I’m too brave for my own good.
“Mayweather was being a p***y and wouldn’t fight me so I said cool, let’s do it.
“It was a mismatch on paper. To be leading in the fight was amazing really. I earned his respect.
“Yes I got knocked out but he is one of the best Mexican fighters of all time. I weighed in on the night at 158 pounds, he was 187.
“It was crazy. At the weigh-in he didn’t seem that big but when I saw him in the corner I was thinking what am I doing here?
“He had his back to me. It was huge.”
Amir Khan was overlooked by Mayweather who instead fought Marcos Maidana.
Khan featured on the undercard in Maidana’s first loss to Mayweather.
But Khan never got a deal over the line with Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao.
If Khan felt avoided by Mayweather, Kell Brook could perhaps feel the same way about the Bolton hero.
Before Khan’s losses to Canelo and Terence Crawford, it twice meant talks with Brook broke down.
Khan said:
“I don’t hate Kell. I have never really hated anyone. This is sport. There is nothing personal on my side.”
“I think his feelings toward me are down to jealousy. He was overlooked because I was a better fighter in the amateurs.
“At [Brook’s Sheffield gym] Wincobank they trained like professionals. But as an amateur you have to throw more punches.
“Maybe that is why he never made it to the international squads. It is a tough business.”
Loading ...