In a candid revelation, former boxing champion Amir Khan opened up about a pivotal moment in his career that resulted in a significant financial setback, attributing it to a misunderstanding with Floyd Mayweather.
In 2014, Floyd Mayweather gained attention for conducting a fan poll regarding his May 3rd fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, with contenders Marcos Maidana and Amir Khan in contention. Khan emerged as the victor of the poll, garnering 57 percent of the votes. However, despite Khan’s triumph and his prior victory over Maidana, Mayweather ultimately opted not to select Khan as his opponent for the bout.
Amir Khan Explains Why He Lost Floyd Mayweather Fight
The British Legend Regrets The Decision
Recalling the incident as one of the biggest regrets of his life in an interview with Gambling Zone, Khan shared the story of a missed opportunity to face Mayweather during the prime of his career. According to Khan, a deal had been finalized, complete with a signed contract for the much-anticipated bout. However, trouble arose when Khan decided to publicly announce the fight before Mayweather had the chance to do so.
In Khan’s words, Mayweather “spat his dummy out,” expressing displeasure at not being the first to break the news. Mayweather’s reaction stemmed from a belief that, as the bigger star, he should have had the privilege of announcing the bout. Khan admitted to his mistake of prematurely disclosing the fight on social media, which triggered Mayweather’s bitterness and ultimately led to the cancellation of the match.
I decided to announce it first and then Floyd spat his dummy out, he said ‘why have you announced it first?’ He thought he was the big star and it was up to him to announce it. I made that mistake, I posted ‘guys, I’m fighting Floyd Mayweather next’ and he got very bitter that I jumped the gun and it was off. I was young, 24 or 25, and I got excited about fighting a legend in the sport.”
Reflecting on his youthful enthusiasm at the time, Khan acknowledged his error in judgment, expressing excitement at the prospect of facing a legend like Mayweather. However, the fallout from the misunderstanding cost Khan millions in potential earnings, serving as a hard lesson learned.
Now older and more experienced, Khan accepts the outcome, stating, “But it is what it is.”
