Khan v Brook odds

It might be happening a few years too late, but Amir Khan will finally face off against Kell Brook on Saturday night in a grudge match that has been nearly two decades in the making.

The feud between the two former world champions began with an infamous England Boxing sparring session when they were both aged 17, in which Khan claims Brook took “so much of a beating” that he was never invited back.

That was in 2004, and after years of sniping at each other in the press, the pair are now due to settle their differences at an agreed catchweight of 149lbs.

With both fighters now aged 35 and well outside of the world title picture, this could be the last time either of them steps into the ring.

Both have been relatively inactive in recent years. Brook’s last fight was a TKO loss to welterweight king Terence Crawford in November 2020, while Khan was also stopped by Crawford in April 2019 before bouncing back with a win over Billy Dib the following July.

Khan is the 7/5 underdog as he returns for his first fight in over two and a half years on Saturday night.

Brook, meanwhile, is the 4/7 favourite to claim victory, along with the bragging rights over his fiercest rival.

Khan v Brook prediction

This fight is tricky to predict due to how long it has been since either of these men fought.

There’s very little way of knowing how much Khan and Brook have left, particularly given that neither has beaten a top-level opponent in well over five years.

Khan has always been one of the fastest, flashiest fighters in the welterweight division, but there are valid concerns over how much he may have slowed down during a long lay-off, and his decision not to hit the pads in Wednesday’s open workout means we remain in the dark.

Meanwhile, Brook’s stoppage defeats to Crawford, Gennady Golovkin and Errol Spence will surely have taken plenty out of him.

The biggest factor in this fight, however, could be the weight. Brook always faced a tough task getting down to 149lbs, and British trainer Dave Coldwell speculated that the final cut is going to be a “massive struggle” after seeing Brook at the open workout.

Assuming that Brook does complete the cut (although he has hinted he could come in overweight) there’s a good chance he is not at his best come the opening bell, and he could struggle to cut off the ring as Khan looks to stick and move from the outside.

And although Khan has never had a solid chin, Brook’s punch resistance should also be diminished after the stoppage defeats he’s suffered so he won’t want to take too many shots, even though Khan has never been known for his power.

Despite the bad blood, this could ultimately end up being a chess match between two aging fighters who no longer have the stamina to go all-out for 12 rounds. Neither will want to be caught with a big shot, so a cautious approach from both sides looks likely.

For that reason, it’s worth taking the bigger price and backing Khan to pull off the win here. He’ll be more comfortably at the weight, and this fight should be set up for him to make the most of his speed advantage.

Khan to win 7/5