Amir Khan confirms KSI fight in bombshell announcement and promises YouTuber will get hurt

Amir Khan has confirmed negotiations have intensified for him to fight YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI later this year. Khan has been out of the ring for two years since losing to bitter rival Kell Brook, retiring after the stoppage defeat in Manchester.

But Khan has hinted at making a comeback and he appears set to enter the world of influencer boxing. KSI – real name Olajide Olatunji – is one of the most popular content creators in Britain and has turned his hand to boxing, founding the Misfits promotional company and getting in the ring with the likes of Logan Paul and Tommy Fury.

Khan has been serving an anti-doping suspension in his retirement after he was found with the banned substance ostarine in his system when he fought Brook. But with his ban elapsed, the 2004 Olympic silver medallist and former unified light-welterweight world champion is free to return to the ring and he has vowed to “hurt” KSI if the fight is made.

Khan insists he is a completely different prospect to Mike Tyson, who is due to fight another influencer in Jake Paul this year, although the fight has been postponed after the 57-year-old suffered an ulcer flare-up. Khan, 37, says he remains in top shape and he wants to “smash KSI’s face in”.

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“If it was to be signed and done, I think we will get an announcement in the next four weeks and then we start to prepare,” Khan told Offshore Poker Sites. “The UK [is my preference] because boxing fans always turn out and everyone in the UK will want me to smash his face in.

“He’s picking someone who’s very dangerous and can hurt him quite badly. Mike Tyson is long past his best and really doesn’t have it in anymore, but I’ve still got it in me. I’m still training and keeping fit. He’s messing around with someone who just recently retired.

“They want to get lawyers involved and everything, the negotiations have got that far. I’m a prizefighter and if it makes sense financially then 100 percent [it will happen]. These YouTubers sometimes bite off more than they can chew.

“He’s said he wants to fight and when the contract is signed, he’s going to get hurt. He will understand then that there’s no turning back then. He might be taking the fight for a bit of hype, but I’m not taking it as a joke.”

Khan (34-6) has only fought twice in the past five years with his glittering career petering out with an unsatisfactory conclusion, with comprehensive defeats to Brook and Terrance Crawford either side of a TKO win over Billy Dib in 2019.

At his peak, the Bolton native owned both the IBF and WBA 140lb titles after a stunning knockout victory over Zab Judah in Las Vegas in 2011. He also owns impressive wins over Marcos Maidana, Paulie Malignaggi and Devon Alexander on his record.