Amir Khan says he will be in the best physical shape of his career when he faces Paul McCloskey, live on Sky Box Office HD.
Khan laughs of split with conditioning coach
Amir Khan believes he is in the best physical shape of his career after linking up with new conditioning coach Michael Vale.
The WBA champion brought in Vale following an acrimonious split with his former fitness guru Alex Ariza, and the Los Angeles strength coach has been working with him for his title defence against Paul McCloskey on 16 April, live on
Sky Box Office HD.
Ariza had been viewed as a key member of Team Khan as he rebuilt the fighter's body in the wake of the disastrous Breidis Prescott defeat and the Bolton man paid tribute to him in the aftermath of his gruelling points win over Marcos Maidana last December.
The pair have since parted company amid a public fall-out which has seen Ariza expressing fears for Khan's future, but the 24-year-old insists he has gone from strength to strength under the tutelage of Vale, who has also refined his pre-fight diet.
"I'm working well with Michael, we are working on new diets and I'm very happy," Khan told
skysports.com.
"He is working me very hard and physically I am in better shape than I have ever been.
"We are doing a lot of strength work on the legs and upper body. He has also changed a big thing in the diet really.
"I'm eating a lot of organic stuff and he's making sure I eat at the right times, and can make weight easy."
Explosive
Khan's tense triumph over Maidana was hailed as one of the fights of last year and the light-welterweight is confident he can serve up another thriller against McCloskey at the MEN Arena in Manchester.
It will be his first fight back in Britain for almost two years and with a unfication battle with WBO and WBC champion Timothy Bradley in the summer already being lined up.
A nation expects but Khan insists he is now comfortable taking centre stage.
"People know I bring explosive fights in whatever fight I am in," he said. "It's good to watch so there is no pressure on me.
"That is just me and I think with my style, that is what I bring. There is no pressure on me because of the Maidana fight; if anything I'll just take confidence out of it."
