By William Mackay: Despite WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan 24-1, 17 KO’s) saying he wanted to become a big star in the United States, he’s fighting on Saturday in the UK against a lesser known fighter named Paul McCloskey (22-0, 12 KO’s), who isn’t even a star in the UK. If Khan gets by McCloskey, which is probable given McCloskey’s slow hand speed and lack of power, Khan says he wouldn’t mind fighting his next bout in the UK as well against WBC/WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley.

How Khan figures he can become a star in the U.S by continuing to fight in the UK is the big question. It doesn’t seem to make sense. Khan is going to have make up his mind whether he wants to be a big fish in a small pond or a little fish in a big pond. He’s not going to achieve super stardom in the U.S by fighting in the UK. And at the same time, it’s unknown whether Khan’s fighting style is exciting enough for him to be a big star in American.

Although he likes to throw fast flurries, which American fans like, he runs a lot and holds too much. In contrast to fighters like Marcos Maidana and Manny Pacquiao, two fighters that American fans really like, Khan isn’t nearly as entertaining to watch. His opposition has been less than appealing either. Thus far he’s had only one good fight in the past three years and that was when he was matched against Maidana, a popular fighter. Khan’s other fights have been either boring or one-sided fights lacking drama with the fight being a mismatch going in.