By William Mackay: WBA World Super light welterweight champion Amir Khan (24-1, 17 KO’s) was recently really getting batted around by a Marcos Maidana lookalike sparring partner that’s helping Khan get ready for his upcoming fight against Paul McCloskey (22-0, 12 KO’s) on April 16th. In the latest Sky Ringside episode, Khan remarked on how much his sparring partner resembled Maidana, saying “Don’t you think he looks like Maidana? Every time I look at him I think it gives me flashbacks.”

Indeed, the sparring partner not only looks like Maidana but he fights like him as well. He had Khan trapped the ropes and battering the stuffing out of Khan with shots while Khan timidly tried to cover up in a fetal position. I couldn’t see any improvement at all in Khan’s game and it was like watching a replay of the 10th round of the Khan-Maidana fight last December when Khan was badly hurt and taking one-sided punishment.

After the recent sparring session, Khan’s trainer Freddie Roach tried to explain Khan’s bad performance, saying that Khan just wanted to mix it up but when he started boxing in the 3rd round he did well. I don’t buy it. Khan looks vulnerable and I think the Maidana fight has gotten into his head. If I’m McCloskey’s trainer, I’m telling him to do anything he can to pressure Khan and try to get him up against the ropes so that he can work Khan over the way that Maidana did. Khan might have a flashback from the Maidana beating and just cover up, letting McCloskey have his way.