Amir Khan may share an age bracket with Terence Crawford, but unlike the reigning undisputed super middleweight champion, the 38-year-old Brit insists he will never fight again. Speaking ahead of the WBC convention gala dinner in Bangkok, Khan said he is content with his legacy and ready to step aside for the next wave of fighters. “My days are over in the sport,” he said. “I had a wonderful career, fought the best, won and lost, but I made my name big in the sport. These young fighters should take a leaf through my book.”
Khan retired with a record of 34-6 (21 KOs), a former 140-pound champion known for blistering hand speed, marquee fights, and memorable nights like his 2010 Fight of the Year win over Marcos Maidana. Reflecting on his peak years, Khan made a bold claim: he believes he had enough to defeat Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao - two all-time greats he was never able to face. “Yeah, 100%,” Khan said. “I learned that because they never wanted to fight me. That’s why the fights never happened.”
He pointed to his performance against Maidana as proof, saying the version of himself that dropped the heavy-handed Argentinian in round one and survived punishing late rounds was unbeatable that night. “On that night, I would’ve beat all of them,” Khan insisted. “I was always fighting with my heart… always taking big risks.”
Khan also revisited his 2016 effort against Canelo Alvarez, where he led on one scorecard before being knocked out in the sixth round, and his 2019 bout with Crawford. He praised Crawford’s recent win over Canelo and expressed support for a rematch: “What he did against Canelo was amazing… They should make that happen.”
Now retired following his 2022 stoppage loss to Kell Brook, Khan says he has no desire to return - even as Mayweather and Pacquiao hint at fighting again. Instead, he wants to uplift the next generation. During his interview, Khan was approached by former sparring partner Souleymane Cissokho, and he didn’t hesitate to endorse him. “One day, Souleymane Cissokho is going to be a great world champion… Almost there.”
Image Credit: Sky Sports