"I mean, you know, first of all, I think we know that Bradley is not going to become the pound-for-pound champion of the world. He might be fighting for it, but he's just making numbers because I think he's in it for the payday and everything...I wish him all the best in the fight anyway. He's fighting my gym mate, Manny Pacquiao, and who knows, in the future, the fight might happen. But now, because I offered him the fight, if he gets knocked out by Manny Pacquiao, I don't think he'll be worth me fighting because I don't want leftovers to be honest with you...Let him enjoy this little time before he gets knocked out...I mean, Manny just has to be very careful with that big head of Bradley. He'll try to rough him up with body shots and looping shots and stuff, but I really think Manny will catch him in between his looping shots and he will spark him," stated former jr. welterweight champion Amir Khan, who shared his thoughts on the upcoming June 9th clash between Timothy Bradley and his gym mate, Manny Pacquiao. You don't want to miss what else he had to say about Bradley, Kell Brook, and much more. Check it out!
BT: Amir, how old are you now, 25?
AK: Just turned 25, yeah.
BT: Okay, you're 25, in the prime of your career, so what made you decide that now was a good time to get engaged?
AK: Look, you know what it is? 25, I want young kids. I want to get married when I'm like 26. It's old age, bro.
BT: (Laughing) You're still young my man.
AK: I still got my looks, yeah, so I got a good looking girl, but in a couple of years when my nose is all bent and I got like cauliflower ears, I don't think no one would marry me, man. They'll be like, "Oh, forget this guy, man." (Laughing) I thought the best time to get married is next year, so next year, I'll get married, yeah.
BT: I've seen pictures of your fiancee. She's definitely beautiful, bro. Where'd you guys meet?
AK: In New York. We met there through a few mutual friends. I got talking to her and stayed in touch with her for 6 or 7 months, and then within 9 months, I got engaged.
BT: That was quick. So you're whipped? (Laughing)
AK: Nah (laughing).
BT: Is she into boxing?
AK: No, she don't like boxing. She don't come to the fights. I took her to the Macklin fight in New York. I was a guest there. I was commentating for Sky. She didn't like it. She was like, "Oh no, forget this." So if she couldn't watch that, imagine watching her fiancee fight. She did come to the last fight. She's a little bit soft that way. It's cool though.
BT: I gotcha. So on June 9th, Tim Bradley is going to get an opportunity to stake his claim to the pound-for-pound throne when he fights Manny Pacquiao. Does that irk you just a little bit knowing that he turned down an opportunity to fight you?
AK: I mean, you know, first of all, I think we know that Bradley is not going to become the pound-for-pound champion of the world. He might be fighting for it, but he's just making numbers because I think he's in it for the payday and everything. I mean, he's not fought for a long time; he was out the game. He didn't want to fight me; he was out even longer. I mean, yeah, it does hurt you when you think boxing is a sport where the best should fight the best, especially at the 140-pound division. I thought maybe we should've kind of made it clear who is the champion of this weight, and then he could've moved up and fought Manny Pacquiao or whoever. I think the fight would've always been there for him. It just shows that he doesn't have balls and I said it to his face and he had nothing to say to me. I said to him, "Look, do you wanna grow some balls and fight me?" He didn't want to fight me. He looked away. He was shocked, but I wish him all the best in the fight anyway. He's fighting my gym mate, Manny Pacquiao, and who knows, in the future, the fight might happen. But now, because I offered him the fight, if he gets knocked out by Manny Pacquiao, I don't think he'll be worth me fighting because I don't want leftovers to be honest with you.
BT: If he gets knocked out by Manny, I don't think too many people will be clamoring for a fight between you two anyway (laughing).
AK: Then what would happen is he's going to want a big payday against me, so why should I give him that payday? He had his chance, but he pussied out. Now he's fighting Manny and he's still talking about me. The guy's obsessed or something, man. It's easy talking about someone else when you're not fighting them. He knows I told him to grow some balls; everyone knows I told him that, and you know what? I don't think he has any because he just walked off. Let him enjoy this little time before he gets knocked out.
BT: How do you see that fight playing out?
AK: I mean, Manny just has to be very careful with that big head of Bradley. He'll try to rough him up with body shots and looping shots and stuff, but I really think Manny will catch him in between his looping shots and he will spark him.
BT: There's been a lot of buzz over in the UK about you and Kell Brook possibly fighting in the future...
AK: (Cutting in) Come on, man. Kell Brook? I used to spar with that kid in the amateurs. I was 135 or 140 at the time and I used to just take him apart. Honestly, they used to say to me, "You're only allowed to use one hand against him," because I used to beat him up that bad. The other hand was never up there [protecting my face]. I would only use my jab and it [the other hand] would be down as well. I can't believe out of the woodworks he just comes out now and says he wants to fight me and that he can beat me and I'm running scared. I mean, he's been talking so much trash. He beat Matthew Hatton; come on, man. My last 5 opponents would probably beat Kell Brook. Kell Brook has not fought anyone in the top 10. There's names like Senchenko. There's names like Selcuk Aydin. He's always talking about being Manny Pacquiao's number 1 mandatory in the WBO. That's what he's living off, and he's living off the fact that he wants to fight me, but he's a different weight category. Now, if I move to 147, I might fight him just to knock him out and maybe put things straight, you know, but the guy is not on the same level. I mean, I can't believe someone talks so much trash. It's funny how it works in the UK because everyone's kind of believing that he's such a good fighter if he's calling out Amir and the fight is not happening. People don't realize that A) the weight's different and B) I don't need him, he needs me. I've got nothing to gain from that fight. If I knock him out, they'll say, "Oh, you were meant to knock him out." And there's no title on the line, so what's the point in me going to fight him? Tell him to win a world title, not one of them WBF or whatever he's got. Win a proper world title and maybe I'll give him a chance.
BT: (Laughing) Or maybe just fight someone else who has a decent name at the higher level. I mean, Matthew Hatton isn't exactly an upper echelon fighter.
AK: Yeah. I mean, Matthew's a good friend of mine, but he got beat by Canelo and he had some tough fights. His last few fights have been tough and he's at that age as well where, you know, he's probably going to retire any time soon. Kell Brook needs to fight a young guy, like I fought Maidana. I mean, I fight young guys. Honestly, when I beat Lamont Peterson, Kell Brook should fight Lamont Peterson because Lamont Peterson would beat Kell Brook. 100% he would. And I know Maidana would probably knock Kell Brook out.
BT: Honestly, I'm not even convinced that he beats Zab Judah, who looked spectacular this past weekend against Vernon Paris.
AK: Yeah, he wouldn't beat a Zab Judah. This bum who they keep bigging up, man, I can't believe they even big him up. I think maybe they only put him next to my name so people talk about him. No one in America knows who he is. No one in Europe knows who he is. Maybe in Britain, maybe. Not even a lot of people in Britain know him. He's never been a pay-per-view star; he's never sold a pay-per-view and he's not fought anyone in the top 10.
BT: Well, I know Golden Boy has a piece of him now, so it looks like they're trying to put him on the fast track now to try and make him...
AK: (Cutting in) Fast track? The guy has nearly 28, 29, 30 fights. If you look at his American debut when he fought on the Carl Froch undercard, he had trouble with that guy. That guy, if I had fought him, I'd spark him in 1 round probably. Everything that I've said is the truth. Remember when Ricky Hatton used to get called out by Junior Witter? He's another bum. I mean, these people see me in the UK and I walk past them and they've not even looked up at me, and they all think they're bad when they do interviews about me and stuff. I walk past these people, they don't even look at me. I go to their own place, I go to their gym, and I walk past them and they don't say nothing. I swear. You know, the funny thing is, when I went to his hometown, I have everyone in his hometown loving me and more fans come to me and show me respect. I mean, he walks down his own street and he doesn't get called.
CLICK HERE FOR PART 1 OF THIS INTERVIEW WITH AMIRK KHAN
[EDITOR'S NOTE: For more updates from Amir Khan as he trains for his upcoming rematch, be sure to follow him on Twitter at @AmirKingKhan]
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