Amir Khan and Devon Alexander successfully make weight for their welterweight bout
Sunday 14 December 2014 00:02, UK
Amir Khan and Devon Alexander both made the welterweight limit for their crucial clash in Las Vegas.
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The British fighter weighed in exactly on the 147lb mark, while his American opponent also matched this weight for Saturday’s bout, live on Sky Sports.
Both men displayed an air of confidence while they posed for pictures, with Alexander nodding at Khan as they exchanged some parting words.
Khan told Alexander: "I'm from England but I've got more fans than you in America. I'm going to win this in style."
His opponent responded: "You've got to say that, in your mind you know I'm going to beat you. You know you're already beaten."
Khan later spoke to Sky Sports News HQ: "I weighed in in the morning and I was a pound under, so I had some breakfast and I could eat, whereas normally before when I was making 140 pounds I couldn’t eat at all for a day or two.
"But now I am much happier making this weight, I am eating and much more hydrated and when you see me on Saturday you will see me probably go up to 157 pounds and I am going to be nice and strong.
"He (Alexander) seemed nervous, shaky. He knows he is going to be up against a tough guy and he knows it's going to be hard work in there. But he seemed confident and that's what I like about him because I know he is going to come to fight and I am going come to fight as well and that's why it's going to be an amazing fight. So I don't want people to miss it.
"You have got speed there, you have got power there and you have got explosiveness there. We are both probably at the same level now, we want that big fight but we have to get past this one first.
"If I see him hurt I am going to get him out of there. If I see he is slowing down I am going to put the pressure on him and knock him out. But I am not going to be looking for a knockout, I am going to put on a good skilful fight and beat him. It’s going to be like a game of chess.”
There is plenty at stake this weekend with the winner hoping to land a lucrative shot at Floyd Mayweather, the biggest name in boxing.
Paulie Malignaggi knows Khan well after suffering an 11th round stoppage defeat to the Bolton boxer back in 2010.
The New Yorker believes the Brit's precise jab and superior size will give him the edge against Alexander.
“It’s very, very difficult - take it from me - to outbox Amir Khan,” the former two-weight world champion told Sky Sports.
“I think Amir Khan is poison to any boxer he gets in the ring with and unfortunately for Devon Alexander, he’s more of a boxer than he is a banger, so we’ll see how it plays out.
"He’s had a lot of success with southpaws, so you cannot even say 'we’ll see how he does with a southpaw,' because we’ve seen him dominate Zab Judah, we’ve seen him take on a lot of southpaws, including Luis Collazo in his last fight.
“Amir has shown an ability to know how to jab at southpaws and make his jab dominate. I think the height advantage is a real big factor in the fight. Amir’s very tall, much taller than Devon at this weight, and I think that’s going to come into play a lot.
“I believe he has the faster feet, probably has the better jab, so styles make fights. Alexander is no slouch but styles making fights, you’ve got to give Amir the advantage. It’s very hard to outbox Amir if you’re the boxer.”
Watch Amir Khan v Devon Alexander, live on Sky Sports 1 from 2.00am on Sunday morning
