By William Mackay: WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (24-1, 17 KO’s) left the UK to make it big in the United States, but after only two wins over Paulie Malignaggi and Marcos Maidana, Khan is back this Saturday against Ireland’s Paul McCloskey (22-0, 12 KO’s) in a fight at the M.E.N. Arena, in Manchester, England. Khan says the McCloskey fight is the big fight that he promised his British fans. A big fight? McCloskey?

In an article at boxingfutures, Khan said “I want to give my UK fans a chance to see me. I could have gone back to American and fought there. I chose to come home and fight in front of my loyal fans who followed me since the Olympics. I want to build my career in America but Id did promise the UK fans I’d bring them a big fight. I’m doing this for my fan base.”

So McCloskey is a big fight? I don’t know that I agree with that at all. McCloskey has never fought a 1st tier opponent in his entire career, and isn’t well known even in the UK. How is that a big fight? I’ve seen a number of his fights and he looks painfully slow, easy to hit and not exactly a big puncher. How is this a big fight? Khan could have fought Breidis Prescott, who punches a lot harder than McCloskey and who has already knocked Khan out in one round in 2008. I could be wrong but I think Prescott would be a lot better fight than picking out a guy with marginal power, slow hand speed like McCloskey.

Khan says he wanted to give his UK fans something. Well then why didn’t he put his fight against little known McCloskey on free television rather than Primetime PPV? Why should boxing fans pay to see Khan beat a little known fighter like McCloskey? This isn’t a big fight, so why should Khan’s loyal boxing fans have to pay to see him fight an inexperienced fighter like McCloskey? I see a fight between Khan and fighters like Devon Alexander, Marcos Maidana, Lucas Matthysse, Zab Judah, Prescott, Tim Bradley and Victor Ortiz as being big fights, but I don’t see a guy like McCloskey counting as a big fight opponent.