Like most boxing fans, former junior welterweight world titleholder Amir Khan is looking forward to seeing Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin battle for the unified middleweight world championship on Saturday night (HBO PPV, 8 ET) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
"This is going to be a very special fight," said Khan, who will be part of the fight telecast for BoxNation in the United Kingdom. "It's one which I'm really looking forward to watching because fans have been asking to see this for a long time. These are the two best middleweights in the world taking on each other. It's the way that boxing should be -- the best fighting the best."
Khan, 30, of England, has not fought since May 7, 2016, when he moved up two weight classes to challenge Alvarez for his middleweight title, also at T-Mobile Arena, and suffered a massive sixth-round knockout loss.
Khan (31-4, 19 KOs) believes Mexico's Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KOs) will hand Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs) his first defeat.
"Going on their past few performances I think that Canelo is only getting better and will get the win. Golovkin is an excellent fighter, but his last performance against Danny Jacobs [on March 18] would have given Canelo a lot of encouragement," Khan said. "Golovkin had trouble dealing with Jacobs, and Canelo has even more skills. I've been in the ring with him and he's quick, has good movement and is a big puncher. I know a lot of people think Golovkin is the puncher going into this fight, but Canelo's power should not be underestimated."
Although Alvarez, 27, and Golovkin, 35, who is from Kazakhstan and lives in Santa Monica, California, both have outstanding power, Khan said he thinks the fight will go the 12-round distance. "As hard as they both hit I think Canelo will take the fight on points," Khan said. "He is an excellent counter puncher and likes fighters coming to him, something which Golovkin does. Golovkin tends to walk down fighters he is physically stronger than, but he won't have it all his own way against Canelo, because he is just as imposing and won't be bullied."
There are many who predict the fight will be an instant classic, and Khan is one of them.
"This fight does remind me of the great fights of the past when the middleweight division was thriving," Khan said. "Everyone remembers the era of Tommy Hearns, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran when they all fought each other. Even today we still talk about it. This fight has the potential to be a modern classic, and I do think it will live up to the hype."