By Nick Parkinson, Daily Star
AMIR KHAN has given himself four years to complete his mission of becoming an undisputed world champion in three different weight divisions.
The WBA light-welterweight champion defends his world title for the fourth time against Northern Irish challenger Paul McCloskey at the MEN Arena in Manchester on April 16 and says it may be the last time British fans see him as a ten-stone fighter.
Khan, 24, wants to get past McCloskey to set up a showdown against rival world champion Tim Bradley in America on July 23. Unbeaten Yank Bradley holds the WBC and WBO versions of the world title.
But, despite plans to face the American, Khan (right) insists he is not overlooking the threat posed by European king McCloskey, 31.
He said: “I want to clean up at light-welterweight and then move up to welterweight and light-middleweight.
“I’ve always said 28 would be a good age for me to retire.
Bolton born-and-bred Khan, who won a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in Athens, has a clear target of what he wants to achieve. He told the Daily Star Sunday: “I want to unify divisions and fight the best.
I have got time to do that. I want to beat the likes of Victor Ortiz, clean up there and be a true champion like Manny Pacquiao is.
“That’s why McCloskey is such a huge fight for me because I am fully aware that, if I make any mistake, these big uni-fication fights like Bradley will not happen.
“So I want to get this fight out of the way before I start thinking about unifying the title.
“It would be stupid of me to sign for a fight before my next one.
“There might be talk of a fight against Bradley in the summer but there is no way I’m looking past McCloskey.”
Khan, who is trained by Freddie Roach in the USA, said: “This will be one of my last fights at light-welterweight in Britain.
“That’s why I want people to come and watch me on the night. I want to show fans how much I have improved.”
Bolton’s world champion will this week be sparring with Pacquiao.
And he added: “I spar with Manny this week.
“I’m training at altitude, 5,500 feet up and I’m pushing myself harder than ever.”
Source: dailystar.co.uk
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