Khan welcomes tough fight against Alvarez

MANILA, Philippines - Despite not landing a megabuck duel with either Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao, Amir Khan has found satisfaction in being given a bigger opportunity against middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

The British star will try to defy the heavy odds stacked against him as he climbs two weight classes to take on the dangerous Alvarez – the WBC middleweight titlist – on May 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (May 8 Manila time).

Khan stresses it’s a more difficult assignment against either Mayweather or Pacquiao, both of whom have repeatedly bypassed him as an opponent.

“I always believed that I would get the opportunity to prove myself in a historic fight, even after the disappointment of not getting Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao,” Khan recently told Boxnation.

Mayweather and Pacquiao have retired from boxing without giving Khan a shot at beating them. The Filipino icon recently joined Mayweather in retirement after soundly defeating Timothy Bradley last April 10.

Khan, for his part, has moved on and is ecstatic in his clash with Alvarez, whose lone defeat in 48 fights (the Mexican star is 46-1-1, with 32 knockouts) came against Mayweather in 2013.

“This (Alvarez bout) is a tougher fight than against Mayweather or Pacquiao because of the size difference but I love that sort of challenge – it’s why I’m in boxing,” said Khan.