by David Coleman: WBA/IBF light welterweight champion Amir Khan claims the challenge of fighting him will be “too big” for Lamont Peterson when they come face to face on Saturday night in Washington D.C.

Khan (24), speaking on his blog with SkySports, said “I’m going to prove that the challenge is just too big for him. “He’s a great warrior as he proved against Ortiz but i’m not giving these belts up for anyone.

The Englishman (26-1, 18 KO’s) says his preparation has been top notch for the bout on Saturday night. He said : “I’ve trained for this fight like I’m the challenger and have something to prove”.

One thing is for certain, Khan will have to be on form to deal with a fighter of Peterson’s ferocity. The Washington man will be fighting Khan in front of a hometown, sell out crowd in what is the toughest test of his career so far since earning an admiral draw against Victor Ortiz and losing valiantly to the unbeaten Timothy Bradley (28-0).

However, Peterson (29-1-1) claims he is becoming comfortable at elite level and is ready for the challenge of fighting the Briton. “I’ve been getting more comfortable at that elite level by just fighting in these big fights, in world level fights and by just being more confident about doing what I know I can do,” said Peterson.

Despite this, Amir Khan has other ideas. He cites his speed and power as being the key to victory and told SkySports, “I’m going to bring my A-game for the fight and I know that he won’t be able to handle my speed and power.”

One thing is for sure, if Peterson can nullify Khan’s speed and drag him into the trenches, this could make for an interesting night on Saturday. I suspect Timothy Bradley will be keeping a close eye on this one.