By William Mackay: WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (24-1, 17 KO’s) still doesn’t realize how bad he looked in winning a 12 round decision over slugger Marcos Maidana (29-2, 27 KO’s) last weekend. Khan was on the verge of being knocked out in the 10th round when he was battered unceasingly for the entire round without throwing anything back. Many referees would have stepped in and stopped the fight, but referee Joe Cortez let the fight continue with Khan getting plastered by shots the entire time.

Khan continued to be battered in the 11th and 12th rounds and looked weak and scared as the fight came to a close in the 12th. Khan said afterwards that he thought he beat Maidana by a lot bigger scores than the 114-111, 114-111 and 113-112 that the judges scored it. Taking away the one point penalization from Maidana for throwing an elbow that missed Khan completely, I had Maidana winning the fight. Khan looked really bad and not in the same class as fighters like Floyd Mayweather Jr., Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander, which is why it’s bizarre that Khan is looking past the Alexander-Bradley fight and talking about a fight with Mayweather Jr. down the road in the near future.

I see that as the ultimate pipe dream on Khan’s part, because he won’t get past Bradley or Alexander, even if he’s running for his life, holding, shoving them and turning his back on them. These guys are much too good and they’re both capable of beating Khan on both the inside and outside. It won’t matter if Cortez is brought in again to work Khan’s fight, he won’t be able to beat these guys.

In an article at the BBC Sport, Khan said this about a fight with Mayweather: “Right now, I know I can go in that fight and probably go the distance but maybe fall short because of experience. In another three or four fights, I’ll be be ready for Floyd Mayweather. By then the experience, the speed, the power and the maturity will be there. It’s a fight that all the fans want to see and it will be made in 2012. We don’t want to make it too early as I want to peak and be in the best condition and it’s made I’m the sort to grab it with both hands. I’ll make sure I go into that fight and win that fight.”

Let’s be real here. Khan can’t beat Mayweather now, next year or probably ever unless Mayweather suddenly ages dramatically. I don’t think he will. I see Mayweather still being able to beat Khan four years from now, and he certainly won’t have lost his abilities by next year when Khan is dreaming of fighting him. Khan’s whole game against Maidana was running, holding and throwing weak flurries with poor accuracy. That won’t won’t work on Mayweather nor Bradley. Khan will lose badly to both of those fighters. However, there won’t be a Mayweather bout unless Khan skips facing the Bradley-Alexander winner, because he’ll lose that fight and along with it the chance to fight Mayweather. The plus is that after Bradley/Alexander beats Khan, we may see Khan back in there with Maidana or Breidis Prescott to try and rebuild his shattered career.