Khan vs Collazo: Amir calls Luis Collazo a 'one of a kind fighter'

Amir Khan expressed his respect for the tricky southpaw style of Luis Collazo on a recent media conference call, saying that he can't compare Collazo to anyone he's ever fought before, including Paul McCloskey and Zab Judah, a pair of southpaws he defeated in 2011 in back-to-back fights.

"Collazo's a one of a kind fighter," Khan said. "You know, he has his own style, I respect the way he fights and he always causes big problems to his opponents, and he does really well in the ring. I'm not going to compare him to any opponent I've faced before. I've not faced a Collazo before, so I need to work on a new strategy and to work on a new game plan, and my trainer Virgil is helping me to overcome that."

Khan (28-3, 19 KO) is moving up to 147 pounds for the first time, but doesn't expect anything but positives to come from the jump.

"I really believe I'll be a better fighter at 147, I'll be stronger, and I'll keep a lot of my energy and strength and power in the shots. I see a huge in difference in my fighting style and also when I spar. I mean, even though we wear head guards and, you know we wear bigger gloves, when we spar, I feel so much stronger. I spar with guys who are a lot heavier than me, and this is at my natural weight, and I do really well," he said.

"I'm a big 140-pound fighter. I'm not going to be a small 147 fighter. So, I think this weight is going to be perfect for me. I'm going to be exactly where I need to be, I'm going to be nice and strong, and, you know, I'm going to be nice and fresh," he continued.

"You'll definitely see a different Amir Khan coming into this fight because I've had a lot of time to work on things, and work on new strategies, and also work with my trainers, Virgil Hunter and also my strength conditioner, Tony Brady. So, I know I'm going to be ready in this division, and I can't wait to step in the ring."