Amir Khan believes there is a 75-percent chance that he will fight Manny Pacquiao in a big-money clash.
The British welterweight confirmed in Doha, Qatar, at the weekend that his handlers were in talks with the Filipino?s promoters about a fight he has been chasing for some time.
“I think 75 percent,” said Khan, who is attending the amateur world championships, where Pacquiao also appeared last week.
Earlier, at a “media round table” next to one of the rings, Khan said his management team “were taking care of everything” regarding negotiations with Pacquiao. “Pacquiao is a fight I would like to have because styles make fights. Pacquiao and I used to train and spar together.
“We are friends but sometimes friends have to fight each other. I think it can happen. It’s all about just doing the little things, contracts and stuff.
?I have left it to my team … they are taking care of it. It will be a good fight for me.”
Khan was speaking at the same venue where Pacquiao had said last week he was in negotiations with the 28-year-old Briton and American Floyd Mayweather for what would probably be the final fight of his career.
Pacquiao said any fight, whoever the opponent, would probably take place in late March or early April 2016, as he was likely to run for a seat in the Philippines senate in May.
A final decision will be taken by November or December, the former eight-time champion said.
Khan said on Saturday Mayweather had “chickened out” of a fight against him. “Floyd, in a way, chickened out; he didn’t give me the fight. [For] three years he was saying he was going to give me the fight but then he didn’t. “Manny Pacquiao, after Floyd Mayweather, is the best fighter and I want to fight the best fighters.”
The Briton, who won an Olympic Games silver medal as an amateur, will stay in Qatar until the end of October and will do media work for the BBC.
FLANAGAN FLAYS MAGDALENO
Terry Flanagan stopped Diego Magdaleno in the third round in Manchester on Saturday night to retain his WBO lightweight title.
The Briton remained undefeated in 29 professional fights of which he has now won 12 inside the distance.
Magdaleno, from Las Vegas, was knocked down three times as his record dropped to 28-2, including 12 knockouts. His only previous defeat was against Roman Martinez from Puerto Rico, who beat him on points in 2013.
On the Manchester undercard, Liam Smith knocked out John Thompson in the seventh round to claim the vacant WBO super-welterweight title, improving his record to 21-0, including 11 knockouts.
Thompson, who did well in the early rounds, was counted out 1 minute 44 seconds into the seventh as his record dropped to 17-2; 6.
IN KISSIMMEE, Florida, veteran Cosme Rivera lost for the 22nd time in his career when Emanuel de Jesus stopped him in the fourth round.
Undefeated De Jesus has now won eleven of his 16 fights inside the distance. The 38-year-old Rivera has won 38 of his professional fights; 26 inside the distance.
On the same card, Orlando Cruz beat Gabino Cota on points over ten rounds in a super-featherweight bout.
