Following yesterday’s opening press conference for the Feb. 19 fight between British rivals Amir Khan and Kell Brook, Khan chats with reporters on this fight finally being agreed to and why he believes Brook’s jealousy has driven him to want this fight so badly. Check out some excerpts of what Khan had to say below.
Khan on his ongoing rift with Brook
“Genuinely, there’s bad blood there. Genuinely we don’t like each other and I think he’s very disrespectful. I think it’s more just the jealousy he’s had all the time, he’s a very jealous person and what I’ve done in my career, he just (envious) of that and it’s one of them things you want to punch him in the face, and that’s what I’m gonna do come Saturday night come Feb. 19.”
On potentially facing Conor Benn in the future
“Conor’s a great fighter, don’t get me wrong, but it just depends the route we’re gonna be taking. But probably, yeah, that could be a fight in the future for sure. Definitely.”
On where he would rank a win over Brook in his career
“I don’t class the Kell Brook fight like a big win, like compared to the guys that I’ve fought in America because I think this is more of a British fight more than that. So I can’t say as a fight that really is bigger than any other big fights I’ve had in my career.”
On where he believes Brook’s bitterness towards him comes from
“I think it’s all originated from what I’ve achieved in the sport of boxing. You can find I do a lot of TV shows, I’ve done a lot of things outside of boxing but that’s only because of what I have achieved in the sport of boxing. As a fighter I’ve got all the biggest sponsorship deals, billboards, I’ve done like TV shows and stuff, and they come to me to get them deals because I’ve done so well in the sport of boxing.
“Kell maybe not has done as well as I have done in boxing, that’s why he’s not got them deals on the table. So, yeah, I think that’s why he’s bitter. He’s not that person that he wants to be, you know. He wants to be in my shoes but obviously he can’t be.”
On training with Team Crawford and if he feels comfortable under that umbrella
“I think what inspired me is that I’ve known BoMac a long time, I’ve even spoken to Crawford a long time ago. Before my fight we’ve been following each other for a very long time and I remember when he came over to the MGM arena for a picture, and now he’s like one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Such a humble guy, great fighter, and so much you can learn from him.”
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