Amir Khan eyeing career swansong against Pacquiao or Brook

Former world champion Amir Khan said Friday that he is eager to end his boxing career with a lucrative bout against ring great Manny Pacquiao or in an all-British contest with Kell Brook.

The 33-year-old Khan, who won his last bout with a fourth-round victory over Billy Dib in Saudi Arabia in July, had reportedly been considering retirement, but he is determined to go out with a flourish against high-class opposition.

“I have a couple of fights left in me—one or two at least,” said Khan, speaking to promoter Eddie Hearn via Instagram on Friday.

“The biggest fights motivate me. When you’ve made so much money and won world titles, what’s going to motivate you?

“A Manny Pacquiao fight is huge, wherever it was, then you have Kell Brook, another massive fight in the UK.”

Khan won an Olympic silver medal at the age of just 17 and as a professional took two light-welterweight titles.

But apart from a 2016 bout with Canelo Alvarez, he has been unable to secure a fight against one of boxing’s current global stars such as Floyd Mayweather or Pacquiao.

But any thoughts about when he might next fight have been put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to a state of lockdown in Britain, with boxing one of several major sports worldwide effectively suspended by the spread of COVID-19.

“I want to fight—we just don’t know how long the coronavirus is going to last,” added Khan.

Last week saw Khan offer his 60,000 square feet (5,600 square-metre) wedding venue in his home town of Bolton to Britain’s National Health Service amid concerns the surge in the number of coronavirus patients was leading to a shortage of hospital beds.