Amir Khan Vs. Kell Brook: Fight prediction, undercard, odds, how to watch, live stream, preview, picks

For aging, faded fighters, sometimes it just takes finding a spark in the form of a rivalry to bring out one last bit of their former skills. That soft of brief resurrection of talent is what Amir Khan and Kell Brook are hoping to produce when they clash on Saturday at the AO Arena in Manchester, England (1 pm ET, ESPN +).

The fight between Khan and Brook is overdue in the eyes of most, a product of a rivalry dating back to early in the careers of both men. Despite years of trash talk and bad blood, the fight never manifested, with bigger and better things always available. That’s no longer true and there’s no bigger fight available for either man than to finally step into the ring with each other.

Khan has always faced questions about his chin, a massive liability that has left him on the receiving end of brutal knockouts, sometimes against top names in the sport such as Canelo Alvarez, sometimes against Breidis Prescott-level fighters. At his best, Khan’s skills have been enough to overcome his chin’s fragility and he was able to produce a tremendous career in spite of it, including a run as a unified champion at super lightweight.

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Speaking at the press conference, Brook, a former middleweight world champion, made it clear he is looking to be the fifth man to knock Khan out, saying, “We’re going to get a knockout. He’s going on his face or back, either way. “

Brook’s chin has seemed to fade in recent years, starting with his 2016 knockout loss to Gennadiy Golovkin. He was then knocked out by Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford in his next two shots at world titles.

“I’m worried about Kell’s health after the beating I’m gonna be giving him,” Khan said at the press conference. “It’ll be something he’s never had before. We’re definitely gonna put him in his place. It’s been a very long time – 10 years, it’s been going on. This is my time now to put him in his place. think Kell’s always been very obsessed with my career, like a fanboy. That’s the honest truth. I’ve been living in his head for such a long time. It’s been like that, but we just go in there, put the words aside. We’ve done enough talking. I just can’t wait to get in the ring and do a job on him. “

Elsewhere on the card, a new WBO women’s super welterweight champion will be crowned when Natasha Jones takes on Chris Namus. Jones bounced back from a tough loss to undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor in May 2021 with a decision over Vaida Masiokaite in November. She’s challenged some of the top women in and around the featherweight and lightweight divisions, but has yet to truly break through. Namus, meanwhile, has lost two of her last three in title opportunities in the super welterweight division since 2018.

Below is the rest of the fight card slated for Manchester, England, on Saturday afternoon with the latest odds from Caesars Sportsbook, as well as a prediction and expert pick for the main event.

Khan Vs. Brook fight card, odds

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Prediction

There are plenty of reasons to be concerned for both men. Khan’s chin is among the most fragile of his generation’s top fighters and is only getting worse as he heads into career fight No. 40. Brook has his own punch resistance issues and has had to have both of his eye sockets surgically repaired while in the late stretches of his career. Peak Vs. peak, Khan likely has the edge, but this isn’t the peak for either man. Brook has always wanted this fight more than Khan and that may be enough to tilt the fight in his direction. If Khan can survive some early aggression from Brook, he may be able to pull away down the stretch. With Khan’s chin, that’s a big if. Pick: Kell Brook via TKO5