By William Mackay: WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KO’s) hasn’t slowed down in the constant tooting of his own horn as the final days wind down before his big light welterweight match-up with World Boxing Association light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana (29-1, 27 KO’s) on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“I am going out there to knock him out,” Khan said in an article at the guardian.co.uk. “My power is increasing by the day. I would just like to think my sparring partners, especially those I have been knocking down.”

Khan has been knocking down sparring partners? I wonder how many of them have knocked Khan down? There are rumors that Khan was knocked down during this training camp, so what difference does it make if he knocks down some 2nd tier sparring partners? Khan won’t be facing a sparring partner on Saturday night. He’s going to be facing Maidana, one of the biggest punchers in the division bar none. If goes out there looking for a knockout like he says going to do, he’s got a good shot of being knocked out himself. Khan barely stopped the light hitting Paulie Malignaggi in his last fight in May. What makes Khan think he can improve on that performance against a puncher like Maidana?

I have a hard time believing that Khan will come out guns blazing in this fight. I can’t see Khan being brave enough to let his hands go in any real way at any point in the fight due to the danger he’ll be facing against Maidana. After all, if Maidana lands one big shot, it’s over. They’ll need to pick Khan off the canvas with a big spatula. Khan’s chin is too fragile for him to fight aggressively against a puncher like Maidana, and Khan has been in too soft for him to risk it all against a fighter that can take him apart with a single shot.