Amir Khan back in training as he seeks mega comeback fight against Manny Pacquiao

27/02/2024 13:03

Amir Khan has confirmed he is back in training ahead of a potential comeback fight against Manny Pacquiao.

Khan and Pacquiao were set to face each other in 2017 for the Filipino superstar’s WBO welterweight title over in the United Arab Emirates.

However, the fight was canned after a $38million guarantee from an unnamed investment group failed to materialise.

Instead, Pacquiao went on to defend his belt against Jeff Horn, who he had already been in advanced talks with before the lucrative offer to fight Khan was floated around.

There was then talk of the fight taking place at a UK stadium a year later, which also came to nothing.

Conversations about ‘Pac-Man’ and ‘King’ Khan squaring off in the ring reignited last year when both fighters confirmed they were in negotiations to stage a fight in Saudi Arabia.

And now, 37-year-old Khan is back in the boxing gym as he eyes a comeback fight against the eight-weight world champion, two years after announcing his retirement from the sport following a stoppage defeat to Kell Brook in 2022.

Khan told The Sun: “I mean, I am training a little bit here and there but the thing is the only man that can make that fight happen is Turki Alalshikh.

“I think Turki Alalshikh can make that fight happen between me and Manny Pacquiao.

“Yeah, that’s a fight that would definitely lift me up, for sure.”

Pacquiao announced his retirement from boxing in 2021 shortly after losing his WBA (super) welterweight title to Cuban challenger Yordenis Ugas.

He did so to focus on his campaign to become president of the Phillippines, yet when that didn’t work out he came out of retirement to box Korean martial artist DK Yoo in December 2022.

The 45-year-old hasn’t fought since then, although it appears a fight with Khan at 147lb will be his next move.

“We are working on it at the moment,” Pacquiao said in 2023. “We are expecting the fight to take place next year. The fight will be at 147'.”

Khan is equally insistent that the bout is likely to happen.

“You've been hearing rumours Manny Pacquiao is in town,’ the Bolton-born fighter told the Daily Mail.

“We are in talks. We've spoken a few times and that fight could happen. There's a lot of interest in that fight between Manny Pacquiao and myself.

“Manny is in town so this is where me and him will have a sit down. If it happens [the fight] here or somewhere else it would be great.

“If I fight Manny Pacquiao I think it will be a brilliant fight. I've always looked up to him and we know each other quite well.”