Amir Khan: I ­cannot ­afford to make any ­mistakes against Chris Algieri

[RoterTeufel]

Amir Khan: I ­cannot ­afford to make any ­mistakes against Chris Algieri
 
AMIR KHAN knows he is drinking in boxing’s last-chance saloon tonight.
 
 The Bolton star takes on American Chris Algieri here tonight knowing one slip could see his dreams of a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jnr ­destroyed.
 
 Khan is desperate for a shot at ‘Money’ Mayweather and insists he is the man to obliterate his unbeaten record, with the superstar set for one more fight ­following his points victory over ­Manny ­Pacquiao earlier this month.
 
 But the 28-year-old’s focus will be on the 31-year-old former world kickboxing champ, who stunned Ruslan Provodnikov in the same Barclays Center ring last year to win his first world title.
 
 Welterweight Khan has come unstuck before – losing his belts to Lamont ­Peterson and Danny Garcia – and knows there can be no more slip-ups.
 
 Khan said: “I will be limited if I lose, so I ­cannot ­afford to make any ­mistakes.
 
 “There is a lot of pressure on this fight in the sense that if you make a mistake, you are done.
 
 “It is hard to then look at those big fights. I can’t argue because ­May­weather-Pacquiao was a fight the world wanted to see happen. Even I wanted to see that fight.
 
 “I was training, though, keeping ­myself busy. I wasn’t sitting down ­doing nothing. We weren’t working in the Mayweather style, we were working on improving me.
 
 “I’m a lot more mature than I was two years ago. I understand the sport a lot better. I approach how I train and make weight better and much more ­professionally.
 
 “It wasn’t impressive, but Floyd did what he needed to do, he boxed smart. Whenever I watch any fighter, I always wonder how would I beat them, what I would do differently.
 
 “I believe that if I keep doing what I am doing and we get that fight against Floyd, I will cause him the biggest problems in his career.
 
 “It shows he is not invincible. It shows Mayweather can be hurt if you get him with a good shot.”
 
 This will be the two-time world champion’s fifth fight under the guidance of trainer Virgil Hunter.
 
 Khan says the California-based cornerman has revolutionised his approach – and has urged the rest of the Brit pack to follow his lead.
 
 Khan added: “I’ve been training, even when I haven’t been fighting. That’s where a lot of British fighters go wrong.
 
 “People are going to see fireworks. It’s going to be electrifying and I’m going to make a real statement. If I have a bad performance, it could ruin me.”