Amir Khan, now 33, looking for big names, big money

Amir Khan is hoping for two or three more fights against well-known opponents after a forgettable 2019 that led to talk about retirement.

Amir Khan begins a new year hoping for two or three more fights after a forgettable 2019 that led to inevitable talk about retirement.

Khan, who turned 33 a month ago, hopes for some good money against known names in 2020.

Longtime U.K. rival Kell Brook continues to be a possibility. Khan also continues to talk about Manny Pacquiao, a 41-year-old welterweight champion who hopes to return to the ring while on break from his duties as a Filipino senator this spring.

“I am in a position where I can fight the top fighters that bring a lot of money to the table, and I am very lucky to be in that position,” Khan (34-4, 21 KOs) told The Bolton News, his hometown newspaper. “I can go to America, or go back to Saudi Arabia and do a fight there, or I do a big fight in the U.K.”

Khan, a former junior welterweight champion, lost to Terence Crawford on April 20 in New York. He said he could not continue after he was hit by what was ruled an accidental low blow in the sixth round. Khan, knocked down in the first round, apologized after the TKO loss. In July, he went to Saudi Arabia, stopping late replacement Billy Dibbs in four rounds.

There has been some renewed interest in a Khan-Brook fight, which looks to be more likely than Pacquiao. It’s a good bet that the Filipino’s next fight will be against Danny Garcia or one of the other welterweights tied to Premier Boxing Champions.

Brook is back on Feb. 8 in Sheffield, England against once-beaten Mark DeLuca in a junior middleweight bout. Brook hasn’t fought since December of 2018, when he struggled in a decision over Michael Zerafa.