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Khan will give up Dubai dream to fight Alexander
Amir Khan has thrown the prospect of a Dubai bout with Devon Alexander into doubt by admitting he will fight "anywhere" to get the IBF welterwight champion to agree to the fight.
Dubai had been pencilled in to stage Khan's debut at 147lb on December 7 with Alexander initially receptive to the prospect of a desert dust-up in the Emirate.
The American's stance has since changed in recent weeks, though, with his trainer, Kevin Cunningham, recently warning it would take a “crazy number” to convince his man to a fight in the Middle East.
Rrichard Schaefer, the chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions, visited Dubai last month for "serious" talks with government officials about staging the spectacle and to discuss potential venues for the December bout.
But as talks with a reluctant Alexander camp continue to stall, a frustrated Khan says he is ready to abandon his Dubai dream if it means the American will finally sign on the dotted line.
"We are looking at December 7 for my next fight and looking at opponents," Khan said. "I have tried to get Devon Alexander. It was looking promising. He said he wanted to fight at the start and now it slowly seems that he is not 100 per cent sure about it, coming up with excuses.
"Even if it's not in Dubai, I will fight him in America, I will fight him wherever."
Khan decision to move up a weight division for the proposed fight with Alexander is with one thing in mind: a future bout with unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jnr.
Khan, 26, has never hidden his desire to fight the imperious American, who puts his 44-unbeaten record on the line against the dangerous and highly-rated Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez on September 14.
"It's all about moving to that big fight against Floyd Mayweather," said Khan. "Hopefully getting this win against Alexander will get me into that fight."
As for moving up a weight class, Khan is unfazed and believes it's simply a natural progression at this stage in his career.
"Being at 147, I won't be killing myself making the weight and I'll be much happier going into the fight," he added.
"It's the right time, I have been killing myself to make the weight too long. "It's good to step up a weight and feel more comfortable, plus there are new challenges out there."
Whether the first of those is in Dubai depends largely on Alexander with the American, who has lost just once in his fight career, telling Sport360° recently that a decision will be made "soon".
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