Amir Khan claims he would fight Conor McGregor in the Octagon, unlike Floyd Mayweather

The talk of a fight between boxing star Floyd Mayweather Jr. and UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor was built up to be a lot of hype, but that was all it ever seemed to be.

With Mayweather vs. McGregor talk now seemingly out the window, another boxing star has thrown his name into the mix and says he is willing to compete under mixed martial arts rules if the conditions are right.

“I’m a little different in that sense, where I would get into a cage and I would fight in MMA rules, so that’s the difference between me and Mayweather,” Amir Khan said to FloCombat. “I would definitely give it a go. It’s something to learn, as well. I’m at that age where I’m still learning, adapting and getting better. So I still have time under me as well. I’m still a young lad and got loads left in me.”

Khan is one of the bigger names in boxing today and says that even though he and “The Notorious” have a friendly relationship, he is more than willing to step into the Octagon to fight him.

“It just depends on the weight category,” said Khan. “But look, as a fighter, that’s a fight I would take. McGregor is a massive name in MMA, and I’m a big name in boxing, so globally, I think it would be a massive fight. Sometimes, you have to put friendship aside and you have to take it in the cage or in the ring. But yeah, if that fight comes up to me, I’m not one to back away from it.”

“Something like that would be massive. Even if I started to train MMA next year, I’d only be 30 years old. I could stop and train for a full year and become a good MMA fighter. It’s in our blood to fight. I’ve been fighting all my life, so for me, I don’t think it’d be a problem for me to learn and switch over to the sport.”

Khan added that his elite boxing background will give him the edge fighting in mixed martial arts, and acknowledges McGregor for his boxing talents.

“I think McGregor has some great boxing skills,” said Khan. “A good boxer will always win a MMA fight–I’ve always said that. A good puncher will always win. You saw in the Aldo fight–he took a step back and countered him as he came in. With boxing, it’s all about distance and timing, and that’s something we have on our side more than MMA fighters.”