Khan to face Malignaggi in May

Amir Khan’s American debut has been confirmed for Saturday May 15 when he will take on Paulie Malignaggi at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The Bolton fighter will defend his WBA light-welterweight title defence against Malignaggi, with Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya to hold a press conference in London this Friday to formally announce the long-expected fight after loose ends were tied up this week.

Golden Boy said: "WBA light-welterweight world champion Amir Khan and former light-welterweight world champion Paulie Malignaggi will hold a press conference in London to announce their world title bout set for Saturday, May 15 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.

"The fight marks Khan's United States debut which will take place in the backyard of New York's Malignaggi."

Olympic silver medallist Khan defeated Andreas Kotelnik last summer to claim the crown before obliterating Dmitriy Salita in the first round in December to hold onto it. He now has the chance to show the USA what he is made of after he joined up with Golden Boy earlier this year.

Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez had been expected to initially be Khan’s next opponent after the Ukraine-born American Salita, but Malignaggi – beaten in 2008 by Ricky Hatton - then emerged as the preferred opponent, and a war of words has broken out online between the two since.