A former lightweight champion and current welterweight contender took a shot at a rival sport, saying boxing is much bigger than the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Amir Khan believes the sport of boxing is more popular and bigger than the more brutal Mixed Martial Arts, which is bannered by Dana White's UFC.
"[Boxing] it's a sport which is much bigger than Ultimate Fighting Championship, and UAE did a great job of organising that over there, they can do the same for boxing," Khan told UAE Newspaper, The National.
Khan is reportedly pitted to fight Devon Alexander in December with Dubai and the United States as the top two choices to stage the IBF Welterweight Championship showdown.
"Dubai is a place which could be as good as Vegas or even better in terms of boxing," said Khan, who is coming off a unanimous decision victory against Julio Diaz.
Golden Boy Promotions is already hooking up with contacts in Dubai to host the fight between two of the best boxers in the welterweight division.
"There is a big opportunity for Dubai to attract big names in boxing like [Floyd] Mayweather Jr, Manny [Pacquiao], myself and many others, the sport is loved there but I think they didn't have an opportunity before to put big fights on," said Khan.
Meanwhile, Floyd Mayweather Jr. said he doesn't like to be compared to UFC undisputed champion Anderson Silva, adding that he never heard of the MMA fighter before.
"This is boxing. I'm not disrespecting nobody. I respect the guys and whatever they do, but this is boxing. I don't know that guy," Mayweather said about Silva in Tuesday's press conference. "Tell me he's been at the top for 17 years? ... [He has a] half a decade more to go, then talk to me."
Anderson Silva will be fighting middleweight contender Chris Weidman on Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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