Amir Khan sets sights on Pacquiao after Dib victory

LONDON: Amir Khan has set his sights on eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao after breezing past Billy Dib to claim the WBC international welterweight title in Saudi Arabia.

The British fighter outgunned an inferior opponent in every department at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. Dib’s corner threw in the towel after Khan showed his hand speed to floor the Australian for the second time with a flurry of body shots. Dib stepped in to face Khan at short notice and had to put on 17lbs to face the welterweight. Speaking after the fight to talkSPORT, Khan said: “We want the Manny Pacquiao fight, let’s hope he comes to Saudi Arabia.

“Hopefully we come back again at the end of the year and bring Manny Pacquiao here. I felt very comfortable in there. Obviously having a new trainer, Bones Adams. We had to work on a strategy, I slowed myself down a little bit instead of rushing all the time. I was seeing everything, making sure I was putting in the right shots, I felt very comfortable in there.”

The 32-year-old from Bolton was back in the ring for the first time since his controversial WBO welterweight title defeat to Terence Crawford in April. He was originally scheduled to meet Neeraj Goyat.

But Indian Goyat was forced to pull out after suffering serious injuries in a car accident in June, leaving Dib, a former IBO super-featherweight and IBF featherweight champion, to move up the weights and step in.