BoxRec

Amir Khan is still hopeful that a fight against Manny Pacquiao can be made for May 20.

Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum told ESPN on Tuesday that a deal for the eight-weight world champion to face Khan in the United Arab Emirates was "dead."

Arum said the $38m (£31.1m) sought to host the fight in Dubai or Abu Dhabi had failed to materialise from UAE investors.

The veteran promoter has begun considering other opponents for Filipino Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs), but a source close to Khan (31-4, 19 KOs) told ESPN on Wednesday that the group of businessmen representing the Briton in talks have refused to accept Arum's analysis.

"They are still confident of the fight happening," the source said.

"If it is going to happen, something will happen [be agreed] in the next couple days. There are a group of people with businesses in the U.K. who Amir knows well, and they are handling the negotiations for the Pacquiao fight for him.

"They are still confident that it can materialise. They think the money in the UAE is not an issue. There are people in the UAE keen to have the fight on."

He's mandatory for Thurmans WBC! He was pretty vocal about wanting to reclaim a world belt when Peterson picked up the WBAs Micky Mouse title the other week! I can't stand the prick nowadays! Seriously boils my pish!

Funny how Khan fought essentially an even fight with Algieri and Errol Spence blew Algieri away like the wasn't even there... And Khan was overwhelmed and blasted out by a young and still crude Danny Garcia, and a more mature version of Garcia loses to Keith Thruman... And Khan has ducked Brook, Thruman, and Porter for a long time -- and now he doesn't want anything to do with Spence.

But he'll probably get the big money Pacquiao Fight... For the same reason Algieri, Rios, and Bradley got Pac fights... Cuz they can't box or punch that well.

Kalan wrote:Funny how Khan fought essentially an even fight with Algieri and Errol Spence blew Algieri away like the wasn't even there... And Khan was overwhelmed and blasted out by a young and still crude Danny Garcia, and a more mature version of Garcia loses to Keith Thruman... And Khan has ducked Brook, Thruman, and Porter for a long time -- and now he doesn't want anything to do with Spence.

But he'll probably get the big money Pacquiao Fight... For the same reason Algieri, Rios, and Bradley got Pac fights... Cuz they can't box or punch that well.

X2, although Arum seems to want Horn. Hopefully if not Khan, it will be Crawford. Maybe a lower PPV, but he can at least keep the money in house.