LONDON: Amir Khan has not been dissuaded from thinking big by two defeats in his last three fights and claims victory this weekend will give him the opportunity to become undisputed world light-welterweight champion later this year.
The 26-year-old must first come through a catchweight (143 pounds) 12-round non-title contest with Mexican Julio Diaz at the Motorpoint Arena in his home city of heffield, northern England, his first fight at home in two years.
Victory over Diaz, a former world lightweight champion, will keep Khan on course for a possible rematch with either Lamont Peterson or Danny Garcia. Defeat to the 33-year-old Diaz will finish Khan’s career at the elite level.
Khan, is desperate to avenge both defeats to Peterson as well as Garcia, who stopped the Briton in four rounds last July.
Garcia takes on fellow American Zab Judah this weekend, while Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse is set to challenge Peterson next month on May 18.
Khan claims he has been told by his promoter Golden Boy that the winners of Garcia-Judah and Peterson-Matthysse will then face each other and the victor of that world title unification fight will box him later in 2013.
“I need to keep winning and work my way back to the world titles,” Khan said.
“I’m determined to win them again. I’m staying at light-welterweight because I want to fight Lamont Peterson and Danny Garcia again -- I have unfinished business with them and want to avenge my losses.
“This fight will take me to a world title shot, hopefully in my next bout.
“Julio has a good KO ratio, I have a lot of respect for accepting this challenge. Diaz is an experienced fighter and they are the difficult ones to beat,” he added to reporters. AFP
