Amir Khan's promotion company plans for the WBA light-welterweight champion to take on Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jnr over the next 18 months.
The 23-year-old, who faces Paulie Malignaggi in New York on May 15, joined with Golden Boy Promotions in January in order to fight the sport's biggest names - a move that looks set to reap dividends.
"They have laid out a plan that over the next 18 months I will be fighting the likes of Manny Pacquiao or Mayweather - big, big names," Khan told the Times. "If they are seeing me with those guys, they must see something in me. Time will tell if they are right."
During Friday's press conference to confirm the Malignaggi bout, Khan paid tribute to his opponent - but left those in attendance in no doubt about his lofty level of self-belief, promising an "electric" contest against the man Ricky Hatton defeated via 11th-round stoppage in 2008.
"I will start working with Freddie Roach [trainer of both Khan and Pacquiao] at our training camp on Tuesday. We have watched a lot of tapes of Paulie, and we really think it is a style we can beat - with my style and his style, it is going to be electric," Khan said.
"I respect Paulie, he has some great fights in the past and has a great record, beaten only by great fighters like Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto - but now there is another fighter coming out who is going to beat him.
"I am confident, so is my trainer, and I just want to put on a great fight for the American fans and for the British fans who will be travelling out to the US with me."
Oscar de la Hoya, founder of Golden Boy, shared Khan's optimism about his abilities. "This event can be the fight of the year," he said. "We strongly feel Amir Khan can be the next great fighter to come out of England. He has a tough challenge in front of him, but we want to prove to the world he can become what we think he can become - a great champion."
Malignaggi, who impressed when defeating Juan Diaz in his last fight, insisted that he has improved significantly as a boxer since his defeat to Hatton. "I am a much better fighter today then when I fought Ricky Hatton," he said.
"My career went at a certain path with the team I had around me. I have been inconsistent a lot, but there have been shining moments where I have looked tremendously good, and I feel I am getting back to that point now."
Source: espn.co.uk
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