While the rumors of a boxing mega-fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather have died down as of late, Amir Khan says he would fight the Irishman on his own turf in the UFC.
According to Khan, who lost via devastating knockout to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez earlier this year, he’d only need a full year of MMA training to make a name for himself in the Octagon.
The Olympic silver medalist spoke to Flo Combat about the idea and says a potential fight with McGregor would be massive.
“I’m a little different in that sense, where I would get into a cage and I would fight in MMA rules, so that’s the difference between me and Mayweather. I would definitely give it a go. It’s something to learn, as well. I’m at that age where I’m still learning, adapting and getting better. So I still have time under me as well. I’m still a young lad and got loads left in me.”
“I would, definitely [fight in the UFC]. Something like that would be massive. Even if I started to train MMA next year, I’d only be 30 years old. I could stop and train for a full year and become a good MMA fighter. It’s in our blood to fight. I’ve been fighting all my life, so for me, I don’t think it’d be a problem for me to learn and switch over to the sport.”
McGregor, who will rematch Nate Diaz next month at UFC 202 after losing to the Californian at UFC 196, has the utmost respect for Khan. Like Khan, who moved up in weight to challenge Canelo for the WBC middleweight title, McGregor moved up from his championship weight class to challenge Diaz at welterweight. The rematch, which will also be contested at 170-pounds, takes place August 20 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
For Khan, the feeling towards McGregor is mutual. The Bolton local has high praise for McGregor’s skills and believes boxing is the most successful style in MMA.
“I think McGregor has some great boxing skills. A good boxer will always win a MMA fight–I’ve always said that. A good puncher will always win. You saw in the Aldo fight–he took a step back and countered him as he came in. With boxing, it’s all about distance and timing, and that’s something we have on our side more than MMA fighters.”
While Khan is already thinking about his next fight, it’s likely that the 29-year-old is still recovering from his KO loss to Alvarez in May, which is widely considered one of the most devastating knockouts of the year.
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