Floyd Mayweather has confirmed he will face Marcos Maidana in a welterweight unification fight on May 3.
The announcement ends any hopes that Amir Khan had of fighting Mayweather but the Brit had already claimed last week that any chances were slim.
Khan signed a contract in December that put him in line to face the WBC champion, but he angrily took to Twitter to confirm that he had missed out on the opportunity.
He had been in line to face Devon Alexander for the IBF title in December but turned down that opportunity in order to take on Mayweather.
However, those hopes have been dashed as Mayweather’s bout with Maidana has now been confirmed by promoters Golden Boy and Mayweather Promotions, and the American has praised his opponent’s skills ahead of their upcoming fight.
“Marcos Maidana’s last performance immediately brought him to my attention,” said Mayweather.
“He is an extremely skilled fighter who brings knockout danger to the ring. I think this is a great fight for me and he deserves the opportunity to see if he can do what 45 others have tried to do before him – beat me.”
Maidana, who lost to Khan in 2010, won the WBA belt in December after beating Adrien Broner and he is confident he can end Mayweather’s unbeaten run.
“I am extremely happy to be facing Floyd Mayweather because it will give me the opportunity to show the world that I am the best welterweight in the division,” he said.
“I just handed a great defensive fighter his first loss and I plan to do the same to Mayweather. I don’t care whether he’s the best and undefeated.”
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