Timothy Bradley Confirms Amir Khan Fight Is Off; “Desert Storm” Looking For “Other Opportunities”

By James Slater: Speaking exclusively with The Desert Sun website, WBC/WBO light-welterweight champion Timothy Bradley today confirmed he will not be facing WBA ruler Amir Khan on the planned date of July 23rd. In spite of the fact that Khan is reported to have instructed Golden Boy Promotions to offer Bradley half of his U.K pay-per-view money in an effort at getting him to agree to the fight, Bradley will not be taking the fight this summer.

The unbeaten Palm Springs warrior did say he hopes to meet Khan in the future, but that he and the Brit “could not come to terms” right now.

“Right now I’m not fighting Amir Khan,” Bradley confirmed. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t come to terms. I’m ready and wiling to go and available for other opportunities. I’d rather not discuss the private negotiations in public out of respect to the people involved. Hopefully, Khan and I will meet in the future.”

Bradley did not mention any names when it comes to who he may fight next, but he did confirm that he will not be facing, and was never in the running to face, Manny Pacquiao. Bradley leaves fans perplexed, due to how he would have received a reportedly career-high payday of $1.4 million to face Khan.

There is talk that Bradley is “sitting out” until his contract with promoter Gary Shaw expires in June. Bradley would not comment on this subject.

So, Khan moves on and looks for a new challenger for July 23rd.

One man who is very much up for the fight and is ready and willing to fight on the date, is the man Khan went to war with in 2010’s FOTY: Marcos Maidana. Ever since coming up short on the cards last December, “El Chino” has been craving a second go at the man he seriously rocked on a number of occasions but was unable to finish.

The Argentine banger told Fightnews.com how he is more than deserving of a rematch with Khan.

“I’ve just been told that Tim Bradley is not fighting Amir Khan,” Maidana said. “So stop looking for a new opponent! Here I am, waiting to get the rematch I think I deserve. I read that Khan would maybe face Robert Guerrero, Erik Morales or Zab Judah. Why waste time trying to pick up an opponent other than me after Khan and I made the 2010 fight of the year?

“I don’t understand boxing. Or maybe Khan is scared about me knocking him out this time?”

Will Khan take the bait and agree to rumble with the lethal-hitter who pushed him to the brink in his Las Vegas debut? Or will Team-Khan see a rematch as too dangerous a proposition? In truth, whether it will be Maidana, Morales, Guerrero or Judah who he agrees to fight, Khan will be involved in an attractive match-up in July.

Sure, we’d prefer the unification clash with Bradley, but with that fight now dead (for the time being anyway), either of the other four possibilities would make a nice replacement.