Amir Khan finds himself in the familiar position of waiting for a phone call from America which, he hopes, will tell him he has finally landed the fight of his life – a shot at pound-for-pound kingpin Floyd Mayweather. Khan is currently observing the holy month of Ramadan and raising crucial funds for the Amir Khan Foundation with a 15-city tour of Britain. But, he insists, will be ready.
Amir, how have you managed to keep training while fasting during Ramadan?
I go to the mosque after I open my fast – I have about five hours between fast open and fast close so I do a quick session. It doesn't have to be too hard or too long because I don't want to pull a muscle. Ramadan has been busy because we have been all over the country raising money for the Amir Khan Foundation. We're building an orphanage in Gambia for 100 kids so it puts things in perspective.
Floyd Mayweather is scheduled to fight on September 12 in Las Vegas – will you be in the opposite corner?
There are talks that the Mayweather fight might still happen. It's between me and Andre Berto I really believe. Can it happen? I really think it can. I spoke to my trainer and a few people in my team and they think that me and Floyd Mayweather can happen. He likes to make his opponents wait.
There are now just over eight weeks until the scheduled date, why has he left it so late?
Maybe he's making me wait and distracting me, making sure I am not focused on what my job is, so that I'm not in the gym and he'll catch me off guard. But that's not going to happen. I'm always in the gym and I always keep myself fit. I don't think that will affect me in any way.
So you still haven't given up hope of getting the call?
I've not given up hope. I kind of did a couple of weeks ago but in the last couple of days I've heard a few new things which have motivated me again to believe that I still have a chance to have that big fight.
You and Mayweather share the same advisor, Al Haymon. What has he said about the situation?
He says that Floyd hasn't made his mind up yet. Floyd is the boss in his own promotional company like I'm the boss in mine. But the thing is, he picks and chooses when he wants to fight and who he fights. I don't think Al Haymon has much say, he can only advise him. I'm sure he's going to be pushing for me to fight him because it has been talked about for such a long time.
Karim Mayfield is a possible opponent for him. Did you see what Mayfield said about you and your sparring sessions?
Me and Karim sparred only two or three times and [trainer] Virgil Hunter was there with the team. I like Karim, I think he's a nice guy and he's always been very supportive and very helpful when I've needed him in training camps but what he said never happened.
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Mayfield said the sparring sessions had to be stopped because he was too good for you. What did you make of those comments?
Obviously he's going to say things just to make him look good. Floyd mentioned his name as a possible opponent. But whatever he said is not true. I mean look where I am and look where Karim is. He's a good fighter and I like him as a person but Mayweather says he needs an easy fight and maybe that's why he put Karim's name in there. I don't see that fight selling or Mayweather ever taking that fight.”
You are close to both Berto and Mayfield, the two other names in the running to face Floyd. Do you think he mentioned them to wind you up?
I think so. I've been thinking that's why he said those two names. He's going to mention guys who train with me or who are always around me. He's going to mention those guys to try and get under my skin. But I know all the games that Floyd Mayweather plays. Floyd's playing games but this is a fight, we are professional boxers. Why not just be a man, say who you're going to fight and get it done? Stop playing these little games.
Does it wind you up?
I just don't know why he's playing these little games, I think it's unprofessional really from a person like Floyd Mayweather who is renowned as one of the best fighters ever. He is playing these little games just to look for every little advantage that he can get. But I'm not going to let it get to me, I'm just going to keep calm and collected. If it happens, it happens, if it doesn't then there will be a plan B to move onto.
What is your plan B?
If I don't get the September fight I'd like to be back out again in November or December like normal. I'll be looking at those dates instead. But if I don't get the Mayweather fight there is still no chance whatsoever that I will fight Kell Brook before the end of the year. It will have to be a big one and I'll leave it to Al Haymon. Al will give me a call this week hopefully to let me know who it will be. It will probably be back in the States again.
