Canelo vs Khan preview and prediction: Can Amir Khan upset Canelo Alvarez?

This Saturday evening, Amir Khan gets the marquee that is big he's been wanting for years, as he headlines a major PPV against Canelo Alvarez. Khan happens to be very vocal about wanting this kind of battle, but he could never get Mayweather or Pacquiao to make it work well - now, he moves as much as a division that is new challenge for the Middleweight title.

The general viewpoint is that it's too big of a move for small Khan, and that Canelo's power is planning to end this fight considerably. Most are currently looking past Saturday evening and discussing Canelo vs. Gennady Golovkin, in the same way they did 2-3 weeks ago whenever Golovkin faced the Dominic that is horribly outmatched Wade. But all this talk of Canelo vs. GGG brings up an obvious question.

Are we overlooking Amir Khan? Can the smaller fighter accomplish the upset and shock the world Saturday evening?

Once again, most say no, he can't. Canelo's size, Canelo's power, and Khan's debateable chin all come together to produce a mountain Khan simply can not climb. But there are those who think Khan has a real shot here, and they have actually two very good reasons to support their argument.

The Speed of Amir Khan: Amir Khan is among the fastest fighters in his unit. He's very proficient at pressing the pace, getting down shots that are quick and outpointing opponents. In particular, he uses his jab well, with a much higher jab price compared to the average. This advantage is expected to be magnified (unless Khan has lost some of that speed in the move up) against the heavier Canelo, who does not possess particularly good foot speed. Canelo struggled to trap Miguel Cotto in their battle, and Cotto does not have the speed of Khan. Khan should be able to make use of the band to his advantage, continue the outside, and make use of his speed to outland Canelo.

Canelo Alvarez's Tough battles: Canelo is a superb fighter, but he is not an monster that is unstoppable. He's struggled in there often times, and those struggles have come against the fighters that are really technical has faced. Mayweather beat him by simply making Canelo box, plus the Erislandy that is gifted Lara Canelo a lot of problems (and, into the eyes of some, must have taken the win). Canelo's most useful performances come when his opponent wants to push in there and go to war - think of Alfredo Angulo, James Kirkland, Josesito Lopez. That is just not Amir Khan, and it's really not what Canelo will dsicover across the ring from him night saturday. When Canelo is in there with those fighters that are aggressive they can dictate the fight and outland their opponent. When he could be in there with a far more cerebral fighter, Canelo's output falls significantly, and he is frequently outboxed. This weakness of Canelo's plays directly to the strengths of Khan.