Amir Khan demands £10million to fight KSI as former world boxing champion insists 'I am my own boss'
Amir Khan insists he has had no contact from KSI or his team over a potential crossover fight - but states that he will share the ring with the Youtube star if he is paid a mere sum of £10million.
Khan, 38, hasn't fought since getting stopped by long-time domestic rival Kelle Brook three years ago, but has repeatedly hinted that he could make his return to the sport. The former unified super-welterweight world champion has been linked to Youtuber-turned boxer KSI, who is looking for an opponent on March 29 after ex Chelsea and England defender Wayne Bridge pulled out in the wake of KSI's misjudged comments about his private life.
Despite the talk, Khan claims he has not been approached by anyone from KSI's team and has named the price that it would take for him to come to the table. Speaking to Betway, he said: "There is nothing out there that they have said to me. They keep mentioning my name and calling me out.
"I’ve never spoken to KSI or anyone from his team, but they know where I am and know how to get in touch with me. We have mutual friends, and they have spoken to some of my mutual friends and asked about the fight, but nobody has come to me. I am my own boss now and have been for the last five years. If they want to negotiate with me, I will speak to them and send it to my lawyer and then negotiations start.
"I manage everything and know everything in the game. I want £10m for the fight 100% because a fight like that I am not getting cut short with PPV numbers. If I want to return to the ring again then I want to make sure I am motivated to get back into the ring. I need something big to push me back to the ring. I have enough money, a big name and have won multiple world titles, the Olympics and a lot of huge fights and tough training. We’re prize fighters."
The Bolton fighter has also detailed how a showdown with another Youtube sensation Jake Paul fell through, labelling the American's manager as "arrogant". Then I had a meeting with Jake Paul’s team, and they said give me a price, what do you want for a fight", he added. "I know the numbers really well and have been in the biggest fights in boxing. I know the PPV buys, the gate, the food and drink prices and I want a percentage of everything because I’m the one making the show.
"I gave them my price and they flopped. They didn’t want to move forward. The meeting was a little bit dead, and they don’t know what they’re doing. Jake Paul’s team don’t know what the f*** they are doing. Literally, when it comes to boxing and no disrespect to Nakisa Bidarian, but he doesn’t have a clue. Netflix has landed on his lap, and they don’t know how to handle it.
"You need to show boxers the same love and give the fighters enough money to get them back into the ring. So, for someone like Amir Khan to get back into the ring, they need to pay that money. On a serious note, Jake Paul’s manager is a very arrogant guy. Jake Paul is a lovely guy, I thought he would have a chip on his shoulder, but it was mainly Nakisa Bidarian, I didn’t like the way he came across and how big headed he was.
"Instead of negotiating, they told me the fighter who was Neeraj Goyat, and I said this was my price. instead of coming back with a counteroffer they flopped and gave it a miss. I wanted £10m. Imagine a British Pakistani fighter against an Indian fighter, it would have been huge. They were so unprofessional, and it left a bad taste in my mouth."
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