By William Mackay: Just as many boxing fans expected, IBF/WBA Super World light welterweight champion Amir Khan is reportedly in negotiations to put together a fight against his International Boxing Federation mandatory challenger Lamont Peterson (29-1-1, 15 KO’s) on December 10th instead of taking on the much more dangerous Breidis Prescott, who already knocked Khan out, or the powerful Lucas Matthysse and Marcos Maidana.

Khan had been hoping to fight the fading 35-year-old Erik Morales on December 10th, but Morales said no to that idea, leaving Khan with only option in terms of facing a weak puncher for the December fight. The options for Khan are as follows: Marcos Maidana, Prescott, and Matthysse.

Paul McCloskey will lose to Prescott Saturday night, so he’s not an option unless Khan wants to fight a guy that he just beat. Matthysse, Maidana and Prescott and call punch very hard, and this is why a lot of boxing fans saw Khan avoiding those guys and taking on the slapper Peterson, who has no power. Peterson is the safe fight, while the other guys are dangerous ones.

The fight against the soft hitting Peterson will be Khan’s last fight at 140. Following that, Khan will move up to the welterweight division, take on an easy target in his first fight, someone like 40-year-old Shane Mosley, and then campaign hard for the Floyd Mayweather Jr. money fight. It’s not the ideal way to get a Mayweather fight, but it is the safe route.

If Khan had to fight a good light welterweight in his last fight that could punch, there would be a high possibility he’d get knocked out and that would ruin his Mayweather payday. The same goes for his first fight at welterweight. Khan likely won’t take on a fighter that can beat him. It’s probably going to be an old lion like Mosley or a welterweight without much power.

Khan had been talking about wanting to capture one more strap before he left the light welterweight division. He wanted the WBC belt that Morales and Matthysse are fighting for. However, with Matthysse likely to win that fight, and Morales already saying no, Khan’s interest in going after the WBC belt has gone disappeared.