By Scott Gilfoid: Rather than fighting WBA light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana (28-1, 27 KO’s), WBO light welterweight title holder Timothy Bradley (24-0, 11 KO’s) or IBF/WBC light welterweight champion Devon Alexander (20-0, 13 KO’s), World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KO’s) could be facing WBO lightweight interim champion Michael Katsidis (27-2, 22 KO’s) next instead. According to the Daily Star, the 23-year-old Khan wants to fight again within two months before Ramadan starts in August and is looking at either July 24th or July 31st for his next bout.

Rather than waiting for Maidana’s back to heal or picking Alexander, Victor Ortiz or Bradley, Khan wants to get back in the ring before then. Apparently, Golden Boy Promotions, the promoters for Khan, want to match him against Katsidis. Khan’s trainer Freddie Roach would like to have more time to get Khan ready for the hard hitting Katsidis, but is willing to go along with that.

Katsidis stopped British fighter Kevin Mitchell (31-1, 23 KO’s) in the 3rd round last Saturday night in Upton Park, and didn’t sustain any cuts in the fight, so Katsidis should be ready for a fight with Khan in July – if Katsidis is open to the fight. The idea is for Katsidis, 5’7”, to move up in weight to fight Khan at welterweight rather than having Khan move down in weight to fight for his WBO lightweight interim title. The question here is whether Katsidis would be interested in doing this? You would have to assume he would be interested if he’ll be getting a huge payday and it won’t be affecting his wait for a shot at the full WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, who is facing Juan Diaz next.

If Khan and Katsidis do end up fighting, it would set up a scenario where Khan is getting revenge for his fellow countryman Mitchell’s loss to Katsidis. It’s unfortunate that Khan wouldn’t be moving down in weight to fight Katsidis and it’s also pretty sad that Khan isn’t facing a top light welterweight like he’s been talking about for ages. But this is in keeping with his past fights where his opponents have been carefully selected, so I’m not surprised. I never actually expected Khan to fight Maidana, Bradley or Alexander, so I’m not in the least surprised if the Khan-Katsidis fight does go down.

I think Katsidis would have an excellent chance of knocking Khan out. The fight could take place in the UK at the O2 Arena in London. Khan had been talking about wanting to fight his next fight in the UK, and I didn’t figure that Maidana, Bradley or Alexander were on the agenda when Khan was talking about wanting to fight there next, and that’s why I thought it was more than a little bizarre that Khan was mentioning Maidana after his fight with Paulie Malignaggi last Saturday night. Of course, Khan didn’t mention him on his own. He responded to HBO analyst Max Kellerman when he brought up Maidana.

Initially, Khan told Kellerman that Maidana can get in line but then seemed to change his mind after a minute, saying that he would fight him next. I didn’t buy it. I think Khan really meant it when he said that Maidana can get in line, because I just couldn’t see Khan taking on a killer puncher like Maidana and risk getting knocked out like he was in the 1st round by Breidis Prescott in September 2008. Katsidis would be a really dangerous opponent for Khan to fight, because if he could get inside on Khan and land anything at all, he’d have an excellent chance of knocking Khan out.

I would expect Khan to run for his life in that fight, hold a heck of a lot and put Katsidis in constant headlocks like Khan did with Malignaggi last Saturday night. I wouldn’t expect khan to lose any points for his fouling, not if the fight is held in the UK. Khan stopped the feather-fisted Malignaggi in the 11th round in a one-sided fight. It was the perfectly chosen opponent for Khan to keep him winning. Malignaggi didn’t have the power to do anything and looked like he had lost his ability to move. Again, it was excellent match-making on Khan and his management team’s part to select Malignaggi to fight rather than someone that would have an excellent chance of knocking him out like Maidana.