Dubai: Manny Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum has vehemently denied reports that Amir Khan has signed a contract to fight Pacman in Las Vegas in April.
The Daily Mail reported on Tuesday that ‘confirmation that Khan has accepted the contract has been sent by his lawyers to Pacquiao’s legendary promoter Bob Arum.’
Amir’s father Shah Khan was quoted as saying: “Our paperwork went off to Arum on Friday, and every point is covered.
“The location is definitely the US. The date in April may vary by a week or so but April is the month.
“We have been here before, with Mayweather so while we are confident the contract will be back with us in the next few days we are holding the second Saturday in January as a fall back date for an alternative fight,” he added.
Arum has strongly rebuked these claims when interviewed by EPSN.com on Tuesday however.
“I haven’t sent a contract to him,” he said. “We haven’t sent anything to him. Don’t you think I’m the promoter of the fight and I would know if I sent a contract?
“It’s not true. There is no deal. There is no contract. There has been no decision whatsoever.”
Pacquiao is currently in Dubai with his Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) side the Mahindra Enforcers and said he would “love” to stage his next fight in the emirate. Khan has been as vocal about staging the bout in the UAE in his many previous visits to Dubai.
The 36-year-old Filipino fighter is currently out injured following his defeat to Floyd Mayweather in May of this year, but he will be fit by March 2016 ready to stage his last fight in April. After that he will retire ahead of the Philippines general election in May where he is running for senator. Options for his last fight include; Khan, Mayweather, Terrance Crawford and Danny Garcia.
