Amir Khan plans on fighting 3 times in 2017

By Boxing News - 08/24/2016 - Comments

Image: Amir Khan plans on fighting 3 times in 2017

By Scott Gilfoid: Amir Khan (31-4, 19 KOs) says he wants to be really active in 2017 by fighting three times in the year. The 29-year-old Khan has the following months in mind for his three fights: January, May and December 2017.

Whether Khan can do that is not will largely be determined on if he wins and stays injury free.

You would have to assume that is Khan gets whipped by his opposition in January or May, and then he’ll sit out of the ring for a spell to recover from the losses. I mean, if Khan gets knocked out once or twice in his next two fights, then it’s highly unlikely we’ll see him fighting three times in 2017.

“Want to be back in the ring around January,” Khan said on his social media site. ”Big fights next year. Who do you think? I’ll be ready. #147lbs January, May, December. #3fights #2017.”

Khan will likely look to cash out with the biggest fights possible in 2017. He’s interested in fighting WBC welterweight champion Danny Garcia and Kell Brook. You can expect at least one of those fights to take place for Khan in 2017. If he loses to Garcia or Brook in his first fight next year, then we probably won’t see him face the other one. It depends. I think Brook would fight Khan even if he gets knocked out by Garcia. However, Garcia isn’t the type to fight someone coming off of two consecutive knockout losses, so it’s unlikely that he’ll waste his time fighting Khan if he gets bludgeoned to the canvas in January.

Khan was BADLY knocked out in his last fight by former WBC middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez last May in an ill-advised move up to the middleweight division. The fight took place at a catch-weight of 155lbs, but it might as well have taken place at light heavyweight. By the time Canelo rehydrated from 155, he looked like a light heavyweight when he walked into the ring on the night to fight Khan. Canelo didn’t weigh-in for HBO before stepping into the ring, so we can only speculate how much he weighed during the fight. Khan says that Canelo weighed 187lbs.

Canelo looked huge, and there was no way on earth that Khan was going to beat the huge middleweight. Canelo ended up blasting Khan out in the 6th round of that fight. It was an especially bad knockout for Khan, and it makes you wonder whether

It would be far better for Khan to take it easy in his next fight in January by facing a weaker puncher and someone not so good. With the way that Khan was knocked out by Canelo, I think he’s asking for trouble in taking on someone good at this point. Khan needs to take it easy for a while to see if he’s still capable of taking a major head shot without nose-diving into the canvas face first. I’m just saying.

When you get knocked out the way Khan did, it’s not a good idea to take on a toughie in his very next fight. I know Khan has been knocked out in the past, but his latest knockout loss was by far the worst I’ve seen him suffer. I think Khan needs to take it easy for a while before he starts taking on good competition. To be sure, Khan can do whatever he wants with his career, but I think he’s asking for it if he faces someone good in his next fight.

Khan is taking a risk even if he faces a fringe level contender in January. If Khan gets knocked out in that fight, then his chance for the big payday fights against Kell Brook and Danny Garcia might go out the window for him. As such, I think we’re going to see Khan taking the biggest money fight straightaway in January so that he can make the most money possible. If he loses, which would be likely given the circumstances, he would at least be getting a big payday.

The best possible fight for Khan in January is Kell Brook. It will give Khan a chance for the biggest payday. I think Brook will jump at the chance to take the fight with Khan in January, because it would arguably give him the excuse not to fight Errol Spence Jr. Brook would likely have to give up his IBF welterweight title to take the fight with Khan, however. I don’t think that will cause Brook to lose any sleep though, because fighting Spence is probably not something that is high on his list of things he wants to do. Getting a big payday against Khan would be a nice thing for Brook, because it gives him a chance for a second huge money fight after his match-up with Gennady Golovkin. It also allows Brook to steer around the Spence fight.

I guess you can’t blame Khan for wanting to fight often in 2017. His career seems to be floundering at this point, and I don’t think he has much time left as a relevant fighter in the 147lb division. Khan’s career has never really recovered since his 4th round knockout loss to Danny Garcia in 2012.