Amir Khan says Dmitriy Salita is just the sort of fighter he needs to beat to impress - and eventually fight in - America.
Salita the stepping stone to Statside glory, says Khan
Amir Khan says Dmitriy Salita is the next step to conquering America.
The WBA light-welterweight champion makes the first defence of his title against the unbeaten New Yorker on the
Sky Box Office bill featuring British boxing's best, including Kevin Mitchell against Breidis Prescott.
The December 5 show that also features James DeGale, Frankie Gavin and Billy Joe Saunders, is sure to be a sell-out at the Radio Metro Arena in Newcastle.
But it is America, where he trains with Freddie Roach, that Khan is interested in cracking.
He will join newly-crowned heavyweight world champion David Haye at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for stablemate Manny Pacquiao's match-up with Miguel Cotto on Saturday, but believes he has what it takes to be the star turn on The Strip himself.
"I train out here, so hopefully next year I think I'll be fighting out here," he told
Sky Sports News. "America is where boxing is huge; this weekend we've got the big fight in Vegas and one day I want to have my fights there too.
Big fight
"It's going to be my third time at a big fight over here and every time they've got me up on stage at the weigh-in to give a wave to the crowd. I get American fans just coming over to me for autographs and pictures. It's amazing because I've never fought here!
"For them to know me is amazing; it just builds up that hunger in my body. I want to fight down here and to be that star in the limelight in the future. It just makes me train and work even harder."
Salita is undefeated and brings an unblemished 31-fight record to Britain next month.
And Khan believes taking on and beating one of America's next generation fighters - he was born in Ukraine but raised in New York - is the best way to conquer the boxing world.
"I'm going in the right direction to fighting the very best," he said. "He's unbeaten, he's my number one, my mandatory so no matter what I have to fight him.
"He's a tough operator, he's going to come win. He's from New York, he's an up and coming American fighter and I think this is the direction we want to go - to have fight Americans and show America how good Amir Khan is."
