Barrera to target Khan's fragile chin

LONDON – Marco Antonio Barrera says he will expose Amir Khan’s suspect chin and shaky defense and win another world title at a fourth different weight.

Already a seven-time world champion in three different weight classes, the 35-year-old Mexican is taking on a big-punching fighter 13 years younger when they meet in Manchester on March 14 in a lightweight contest.

The fight has the potential to be a classic with Khan trying to do what another talented British fighter, Naseem Hamed, failed to do in April 2001.

Barrera outboxed Hamed over 12 rounds at featherweight for the British fighter’s only defeat. Now he wants to punch another hole in Khan’s career and line up a world title fight in the lightweight division.

“That’s what gets me to fight,” the former super-bantamweight, featherweight and super-feathweight world champion said in a conference call. “If I beat this kid I am definitely getting a title shot in my next fight.”

Although Khan was knocked out in the first round by Breidis Prescott in September, he rebounded by battering Oisin Fagan in two rounds to take his record to 19-1.

“I have seen him a couple of times and studied his fights,” Barrera said of Khan. “I know he’s a good fighter but he makes mistakes and I think he has a questionable chin. I feel sure I can beat him.”

Khan, who showed his promise as a 17-year-old when he won the Olympic silver medal at the 2004 Athens Games, is considered one of Britain’s best young fighters but has been frustrated he hasn’t yet had a big fight. Now he fights one of the biggest names around.

“I have always had the ambition to go out and fight all the best fighters and this is the start,” the 22-year-old British fighter said in the same conference call. “I am fighting a legend who has won world titles at three different weights. This is my motivation for getting into the gym and fighting a lot harder.”        (AP)