Amir Khan loses WBC No 1 challenger spot and is removed from the top 15 with immediate effect

AMIR KHAN has lost his WBC No 1 challenger spot due to inactivity.

The Bolton-born boxer has not fought since May 2016, when he was brutally knocked out by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

He has since seen fights against Manny Pacquiao and Kell Brook fall by by the wayside, although Khan still hopes to get one of these in the bank before the year is out.

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WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told : ““Amir Khan was a mandatory before. Then he fought Canelo. Then he would remain as mandatory, but then he got injured.

“He has been out of the ring for so long, that inactivity took over.”

Khan underwent surgery on his hand following the Canelo loss, but his medical extension that was granted has expired, meaning the WBC have to find a new No 1 contender.

Keith Thurman is the organisation’s champion, with Shawn Porter, who has already lost to Thurman once, now the No 1 challenger.

SunSport has reported how Khan, despite this latest setback, has revealed he is in talks with Kell Brook AND Manny Pacquiao in a bid to fight one of them before the year is out.

The welterweight was all set to fight Pacman this summer, but that deal broke down, with promoter Bob Arum saying the “money was just not there”.

He said: “I will announce a fight within the next month. I am in talks with a few people, Manny Pacquiao is one name, Kell Brook is another.”

Khan said how he wants to put rival Brook “in his place”.

He added: “The reason the fight hasn’t happened till now is because he is fighting in [in two weeks]. That is a mandatory fight.

“Then after that maybe we fight. I am one fighter who has never turned anyone down. I fight anybody put in front of me. So let’s see.

“It’s time now that I put him in his place.”