Amir Khan has revealed he has adapted his approach to take on Andreas Kotelnik for the WBA light-welterweight title on Saturday night.
WBA light-welterweight challenger to target the body
Amir Khan has revealed he has adapted his approach to take on Andreas Kotelnik for the WBA light-welterweight title on Saturday night.
The 22-year-old Olympic silver medallist comes into the bout at Manchester's MEN Arena on the back of his triumph over Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera in mid-March.
Making use of his speed and fast hands, the Bolton boxer danced his way around Barrera in claiming the biggest win of his career to date.
But cautious, counter-puncher Kotelnik represents an altogether different prospect and Khan and his trainer Freddie Roach have changed their tactics accordingly.
Targets
"Body shots - Kotelnik is a fighter who keeps his guard very high so I think the body shots are going to work as well as the angles, I've got to hit and move," Khan told
Sky Sports News.
"In and out movement is also going to work, but he's a counter fighter so I have to be one step ahead of him every time.
"He's a tough fighter he knows what I'm good at doing so we had to change a few things in the camp and we're ready for the fight now.
"The key to victory is being patient and using my brains, being careful in the fight and just not making the mistakes we made in the last few fights.
"Me and Freddie have got a game plan, we've got a plan A and a plan B, and I'm sure it's going to work for us."
Strength
Khan has also shrugged off concerns about how making the move up to the 10st limit for the first time will impact him.
"I'm feeling strong at light-welterweight it's only 5lbs more from the 9st 9lbs limit. I feel so strong and so quick at this weight," he added.
"I think this weight is the best weight I've been for a long time. I've been sparring at this weight really well. I'm holding more muscle. I feel a lot bigger, a lot stronger, so I just can't wait to fight now.
"I've never trained so hard. Every fight I'm getting better and better and it's just pushed me knowing that I'm going into a different weight
"Freddie said after winning this fight that it will put me in the mix with the best in the world with the likes of Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez.
"But they're fights in the future that would be big fights for me but first of all we need to get Kotelnik out the way and not only beat him but we need to beat him in a good style, fair and square, so people know how good Amir Khan is.
"From the last defeat 10 months ago, against Breidis Prescott, people thought I was finished but I've proved everyone wrong and I've come back and by Saturday Amir Khan will become a world champion."
