Amir Khan got paid a lot more than usual to fight Canelo Alvarez. The former Olympic silver medalist and world champion said he made $11-12 million for the 2016 bout, which was 3-4 times his normal paycheck.
Khan shared this information in a recent interview, shedding light on the big money involved in high-profile boxing matches. Top fighters like Canelo Alvarez often earn huge purses, with factors like skill, marketability, and personality playing a role in how much they make.
Khan's fight against Canelo in May 2016 was one of the biggest of his career. He moved up from his usual 147-pound welterweight division to a 155-pound catchweight for the chance to face the Mexican star.
"It was like times times three or four. When that deal was put to me, it was like 11, 12 million, yeah. Look at this this day, I had to fight Danny Garcia, Andreas Kotelnik, Zab Judah, Lamont Peterson and maybe like a Phil Lo Greco [to make the same amount.] It's not the fight that's hard it's the training camps so when you get an opportunity like that you're going to take it."
Khan made these comments while speaking to The Stomping Ground. He explained that the huge payday was too good to pass up, even though it meant facing a much bigger opponent.
The fight didn't go Khan's way. He started well, boxing off the back foot, but Canelo caught him with an overhand right in the 6th round, ending the fight by knockout.
Khan's career included some impressive wins over guys like Devon Alexander, Marcos Maidana, Ruiz Collazo, and Dmitry Salita. He also challenged for the WBO welterweight world title against Terence Crawford in 2019.
The British boxer hung up his gloves in February 2022 after losing to Kell Brook by 6th-round knockout. That final fight capped off a career that saw Khan reach the heights of Olympic and world championship success.
