Khan ready for endurance test

Amir Khan has promised his fans they will see “a new fighter” when he defends his Commonwealth lightweight title against Gairy St Clair in London on Saturday.

Australian challenger St Clair, who held a world super-featherweight title just 15 months ago, has lost five times and drawn twice in a 46-fight career.

He has never been floored or stopped and is widely regarded as the toughest opponent to be matched with the 21-year-old so far.

It is a record formidable enough to convince Khan, who has won 12 of his 15 fights inside the distance, to take a cautious tone, but the Brit is relishing the chance to show off a new side to his game.

He said: “This guy is tough. I’m going to have to dig deep for it. I’ve made my mistakes and I’ve learnt from them. I’m going to be a totally different fighter to normal.

“I’m stronger and faster and more experienced. This is a good fight to show I am not taking the easy route. He needs me to be back on the map again, but I need him.

“Fans will see more of me. I will have to move differently, punch differently (at 5ft 10 Khan is six inches taller than St Clair), last longer. This guy is different to the people I’ve fought so far.”

A large part of the Guyana-born Australian’s reputation originated from his bouts with former world champions Diego Corrales and Vivian Harris.

Neither the late Corrales nor Harris, who filled out to become champions at lightweight and light-welterweight respectively, could stop the 32-year-old inside the distance.

And Khan is hoping to use his opponent’s durability to showcase his skill at fighting longer bouts against quality rivals.

“I want to show people how far I’ve come along,” he explained. “It will be a big achievement for me, you know, the likes of Corrales couldn’t stop him.

“I never go in there trying to knock someone out, I go in there to box to win. I train for the 12 rounds. If it goes 12 rounds, it goes 12 rounds. I want to win in a good style.

“I’ve been sparring a lot of hard pad work, I’ve got the fitness in the tank. The training I have done for the fight has been perfect.

“I want people to see that I can sustain my pace for long periods, not just the first few rounds.”

Despite preparing for a long fight, Khan believes he has the tools needed to floor St Clair.

He said: “He is the best that I’ve fought at the moment. He is tough, he is strong, has a good chin and never been knocked out.

“It’s going to be tough for me; he’s durable, has a lot to offer. But my style is good for this. I have fast hands and movement. It’s going to be a good fight.

“I have the speed to catch him. He has never fought a guy who is faster than him. He will have to see how fast he can move away from my quick punches. I think it’s going to be a good test for me to see how I can do against a guy who is very slippery and awkward.

“He could go down. We’ll have to see.”