Amir Khan aiming to end ‘worst year of life’ on high note

The Bolton light-welterweight faces unbeaten Molina at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena knowing it is win or bust following two devastating defeats in a row.

Khan (26-3, 18KOs) lost a controversial decision to Lamont Peterson in Washington a year ago before being stunned by Danny Garcia in a fourth-round stoppage on his next appearance. Meanwhile, the former two-time world champion has endured various problems outside of the ring which have surely added to the strain.

Now he faces untested Molina, acutely aware that another shock defeat will send him crashing out of the world title picture and perhaps end his career as an elite-level fighter.

“It’s a make or break fight for me because I have to win it if I want to move on to bigger and better things,” he said.

“This year has probably been the worst of my life, losing my WBA world title, having those two defeats and things that happened. It’s been tough. It’s just about regrouping and redeeming myself.

“It’s one of the biggest fights of my life after everything that’s happened. Every fight is a big fight for me but this is one that I’m taking very seriously because, the way I see it, it’s a make or break fight. I need to win this fight to get back on the scene again. It can put me back on a winning streak and maybe a rematch against Garcia.”

Khan, 26, bristles at suggestions that he would be staring at retirement should he lose against unfancied Molina (17-0-1, 7KOs). But he concedes yet another defeat would have catastrophic repercussions. “I still believe I’m at world class level and in the top ten in the world but it would push me right back down,” he said. “It would be tough for me to make it back again because I’ve worked so hard to get into this position.

“But we don’t want to be in that situation and I’ve not thought about losing. I know as long as I stick to the gameplan and my instructions, then I’m not going to lose this fight.”

Molina has yet to prove himself at the top level. However, the Californian is confident he can follow Peterson and Garcia by springing an upset against Khan.

“We know Amir doesn’t like pressure fighters and whatever way we can make him uncomfortable, that’s what we’ll do,” Molina said. “So expect an all-out war. We’re going to fight in my city, in LA, in the ‘hood. So I’m going to make this a street fight. He can’t come to my ‘hood’ and beat me.”