SPO_181213-Amir-Khan_1-(Read-Only)
Amir Khan Image Credit: Agency

Dubai: In Dubai to recover from his defeat to Terence Crawford in the WBO world welterweight title fight on April 20 at Madison Square Garden in New York, British boxer Amir Khan says he still has some fights left in him.

In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Khan after taking his loss, stated that he was open to the idea of facing welterweight champion Kell Brook in 2019.

“There are conversations. It’s still going to be a big fight and it will be a fight people want to see. If things fall in place we can have a fight again in the fall, possibly in October or November,” Khan revealed.

The British boxer, known for his great hand speed and a massive following in the UK, makes a strong case for Dubai as a boxing venue.

“A major fight in Dubai will probably be one of the most-talked-about sporting events of the year.

“Dubai can become one of the great boxing venues in the world. It has an amazing infrastructure and modern stadiums, like the one in Down Town Dubai. The emirate can draw the American fans here. Not only shall they be coming for the boxing matches, but they will also get to see what Dubai has to offer. It also spreads the word about what Dubai is looking for.”

The former two-time world champion, currently taking a break following his latest fight, elaborated that Dubai has what it takes to organise a big boxing event.

“May be one day I can sit down with the sports authorities here and talk to them about having a big ticket sporting event here,” he said. “You have everything going for you — apart from the sporting infrastructure, you got a diverse crowd here — Asians, British among others. Dubai has a great opportunity to attract people from all over, including America.”

Khan is of the opinion that there is more to his boxing career and he would like to have a few more fights before he retires from the game.

“Dubai is like a second home to me,” he said. “I would love to do a big fight here while I am still in the game. A lot of the top ten fighters would take part in a fight here and there will be plenty of people from around the world who would fly down to Dubai to watch the big game.”