British Boxing is booming, and over the coming months we have some huge fight nights to look forward to. On April 21st, Amir Khan makes his return to the ring on a card promoted by Matchroom Sports. Also on that evening, Frank Warren promotions are bringing a cracker of a featherweight fight to Belfast with the Frampton vs. Donaire match up.
With such a huge night of boxing on the horizon, we’re going to help get you in the mood by giving you the lowdown on Amir Khan’s next fight and tell you everything you need to know. We’re also going to be covering Carl Frampton’s next fight and we hope that by the end of it you may even pick up a few tips to help you beat the bookies.
Fight 1 – Amir Khan vs. Phil Lo Greco
Khan’s next fight can be viewed as little more than a tune up for the Bolton born Olympian. But what had the potential to be a pretty drab affair, took an interesting twist during their January press conference.
Before we get into the details about the fight, let’s first give a brief overview of the two fighters.
Amir Khan Profile
While British Boxing is booming, Amir Khan has slightly slipped off the radar while trying to crack the American market, with limited success.
Khan burst into the awareness of the UK public when he won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. From then on, he built a following, wowing audiences with lightning fast combination punching. From a skills perspective, Khan was destined for the very top.
However, as his career progressed, a very obvious flaw became apparent; his chin was very weak. And so, for one reason or another, he grew to become a bit of a marmite character for the British public, which may have played a role in him deciding to move to the US full time.
The last of Khan’s fights in the US came in May 2016 against Mexican Saul Alvarez, in a fight that was quite frankly a mismatch. Khan was brutally KO’d in a fight that led many to question whether the end of his career was nigh. Ever since it has left people asking “when is Amir Khan’s next fight?” but the answers have been in short supply.
But then out of the blue, two years later, Khan eventually returned to our screens. Although oddly, it wasn’t as a Boxer. Amir Khan made an appearance as a contestant on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!
This was a risky move for Khan. But it seems to have paid off, and he has raised awareness that he indeed still exists. And ultimately, it’s viewing figures and ticket sales that determine whether fights are made, so it could prove lucrative for his Boxing career.
But the question to be answered here is, are we going to see a hungry, motivated performance in Amir Khan’s next fight? Or is he returning for a quick payday?
Phil Lo Greco Profile
Phil Lo Greco is probably a name that only hardcore Boxing aficionados have heard before. The 33 year old Canadian is largely a domestic level fighter, although he briefly held the WBC International Welterweight Title.
His two biggest fights to date came against American’s Shawn Porter and Errol Spence Jr, the man who recently dismantled Sheffield’s Kell Brook.
Lo Greco is a gutsy, powerful fighter who fights on the front foot and likes to engage his opponent. He is powerful, has good work rate and a good chin. So far, so good.
Perhaps where he falls down, though, is he is pretty limited with his punch selection and general boxing skills.
One attribute he definitely possesses, though, is he has a razor sharp tongue. He definitely ruffled a few feathers with what can be described as a low blow in the first pre fight press conference. He decided to taunt Khan about his well publicised marriage difficulties…
Let’s just say that Khan didn’t react too kindly to the provocation.
Tale of the Tape
| Amir Khan | Phil Lo Greco | ||
| Age | 31 | Age | 33 |
| Nickname | King Khan | Nickname | The Italian Sensation |
| Stance | Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
| Height | 5’ 8” / 174 cm | Height | 5’ 8” / 173cm |
| Reach | 71” / 180cm | Reach | 68” / 173cm |
| Wins | 31 (19 KOs) | Wins | 28 (15 KOs) |
| Losses | 4 (3 KOs) | Losses | 3 (1 KO) |
Amir Khan Next Fight Betting
The thing that’s interesting in Amir Khan’s next fight, is that having spent 2 years out of the ring, we’re not really sure which fighter will turn up.
This makes pricing the fight more difficult for the bookies, and may mean there is some value to be had. If you’re looking to bet on the fight, the odds* are listed below:
*All odds are correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
Fight Odds – Winner
| Amir Khan | Phil Lo Greco | Draw |
| 1/18 (1.05) | 8/1 (9.0) | 33/1 (34.0) |
Fight Odds – Method of Victory
| Khan by KO, TKO or Disqualification | Khan by Decision or Technical Decision | Lo Greco by KO, TKO or Disqualification | Lo Greco by Decision or Technical Decision | Draw or Technical Draw |
| 1/6 (1.16) | 7/2 (4.5) | 12/1 (13.0) | 16/1 (17.0) | 33/1 (34.0) |
Fight Odds – Will The Fight Go The Distance?
| No | Yes |
| 2/7 (1.29) | 5/2 (3.5) |
How Can You Watch Khan’s Next Fight?
Amir Khan signed a 3 fight deal with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Sports in the build up to this fight. Matchroom Sports, who promote boxers such as Anthony Joshua, have a contract to show their fights exclusively with Sky. This means the action from Liverpool’s Echo Arena will be shown live on Sky Sports. Don’t worry, it’s not a pay-per-view fight, so you won’t have to pay extra.
The fight is set to take place at around 10:15 pm, although the fights earlier on the card will be shown from around 7pm.
What Next For The Winner?
Amir Khan is widely expected to win, but in the event that he didn’t, it would no doubt signal his career really is coming to an end. People only want to watch Amir Khan fight if he is involved in, or working towards big title fights.
So if he gets beaten by a journeyman fighter, it is a clear sign that his heart isn’t in it anymore and he need to retire. Not only that, but to breath more fire into his relationship with the British public, Amir needs to win in style.
Providing things go to plan, a domestic mega fight with long time rival Kell Brook is certainly on the cards.
Should Lo Greco win, it is a scalp that he can use to earn another shot at fighting a highly ranked fighter.
Fight 2 – Carl Frampton vs. Nonito Donaire
On paper, this fight is an absolute cracker. You have former two weight world champion Carl Frampton facing former four weight world champion Nonito Donaire facing off for the chance to face current WBO World Champion Oscar Valdez who beat Englishman Scott Quigg in a brutal fight in March.
With so much at stake, Carl Frampton’s next fight is one you simply cannot miss. The atmosphere will be electric as the Northern Irishman, Frampton, is fighting in front of his passionate fans.
Carl Frampton Profile
Belfast born Frampton is a former two weight world champion. He held the WBA and IBF super-bantamweight titles between 2014 and 2016. He then moved up a weight class and won the WBA featherweight title after beating Mexican Leo Santa Cruz in June 2016. Unfortunately, Carl Frampton’s next fight was a rematch against Santa Cruz, which he lost.
He is regarded as the biggest Northern Irish boxing star in 3 decades, and has a very large, very loud following.
After an excellent amateur career where he fought over 100 fights, it didn’t take him long to get to grips with the pro scene. Within just 11 fights he won the Commonwealth super-bantamweight title, and after 16 won the European super-bantamweight title.
On his 19th fight, he fought dangerous Spaniard Kiko Martinez in front of a sellout crowd in the Titanic Quarter in Belfast. He won convincingly by unanimous decision to become a world champion, in a victory that made him a household name in Ireland.
After defending his title a few times, he stepped up in weight class when he got the chance to fight for the WBA featherweight title in the aforementioned fight against Santa Cruz.
Frampton is at a stage now where he is probably just starting to exit his prime, so this represents a big opportunity for him.
Nonito Donaire Profile
The Filipino Flash has one of the most impressive CVs of any active fighter, with fellow countryman Manny Pacquiao one of the only fighters to surpass him. He actually attended the same school as Pacquiao as a kid, before moving to America when he was six.
It was in the US where Donaire learned his craft and within 10 years he started a reasonably successful amateur career winning three U.S. national championships.
When Donaire turned pro it took him a while to show what a supreme talent he was, and he even lost his second professional fight. This is something that can halt a fighter’s career in the US where a perfect record holds a lot of weight when building a fighter’s career.
Eventually though, six years after turning pro, Donaire got his shot. He fought unbeaten flyweight world champion Vic Darchinyan in a fight where Donaire was a massive underdog. However that didn’t deter Donaire, who KO’d his opponent in the 5th round with a knockout punch that was voted “Knockout of the year” and “Upset of the Year” by Ring magazine.
After defending his first titles, Donaire begun to move through the weight ranks adding more to his honours list.
Donaire is a fighter that has exceptional hand speed and has been a very powerful puncher at every weight he has fought at. In his prime he reached a high of third in the rankings for the best pound for pound fighters.
Donaire is now in the twilight of his illustrious career, but still holds a threat for anyone that steps in the ring with him.
Tale Of The Tape
| Carl Frampton | Nonito Donaire | ||
| Age | 31 | Age | 35 |
| Nickname | The Jackal | Nickname | The Filipino Flash |
| Stance | Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
| Height | 5’ 5” / 165 cm | Height | 5’ 5 ½” / 166cm |
| Reach | 62” / 157cm | Reach | 68” / 173cm |
| Wins | 24 (14 KOs) | Wins | 38 (24 KOs) |
| Losses | 1 (0 KOs) | Losses | 4 (1 KO) |
Carl Frampton Next Fight Odds
Carl Frampton is a clear favourite in his next fight in front of his home crowd. However, as we have said, Donaire is a very experienced, very dangerous ex-champion.
If you think that Donaire could cause an upset, there could be some value in backing the Filipino. So if you want to bet on the fight, we’ve compiled the odds* below:
*All odds are correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
Fight Odds – Winner
| Carl Frampton | Nonito Donaire | Draw |
| 1/6 (1.16) | 4/1 (5.0) | 25/1 (26.0) |
Fight Odds – Method of Victory
| Frampton by KO, TKO or Disqualification | Frampton by Decision or Technical Decision | Donaire by KO, TKO or Disqualification | Donaire by Decision or Technical Decision | Draw or Technical Draw |
| 3/1 (4.0) | 4/7 (1.57) | 6/1 (7.0) | 12/1 (13.0) | 25/1 (26.0) |
Fight Odds – Will The Fight Go The Distance?
| No | Yes |
| 4/9 (1.44) | 13/8 (2.62) |
How Can You Watch Carl Frampton’s Next Fight?
Carl Frampton’s next fight is promoted by Frank Warren who owns the Boxnation tv channel and also has a deal with BT Sports.
The full fight and the entire undercard will be shown live from the SSE Arena in Belfast on both BT Sports and Boxnation.
It is likely that it will clash with the Amir Khan fight, so unfortunately you’ll have to pick between the two.
Alternatively, if you have the BT Sport app, you can watch Carl Frampton’s next fight on your phone and Amir Khan’s next fight on TV!
What Next For The Winner?
Carl Frampton’s next fight is arguably one of the biggest of his career. Not only is he facing a world-class opponent, but should he lose, he misses out on the opportunity to fight for a world championship belt in the following fight.
The winner of this fight be next in line for a shot at champion Oscar Valdez when he recovers from a broken jaw. Frampton is just departing the prime of his career, so this opportunity may not crop up for him again.
As for Donaire, he is definitely in the twilight of his career and is bidding for one last title shot. A defeat in this fight against Frampton may well see the career of this well respected fighter coming to an end.
