Amir Khan: It´s time I shut Kell Brook up

Amir Khan believes he is a better fighter than Kell Brook and says now is the time for him to quieten his compatriot.

The two Brits were both defeated on their previous visits to the ring – Khan knocked out by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in a WBC middleweight bout in May, before Brook was stopped by the fearsome Gennady Golovkin in September.

IBF world welterweight champion Brook, who stepped up two weights to fight the unbeaten Kazakh, suffered a fractured eye socket which required surgery during the bout with Golovkin and is still recovering from the injury.

But earlier this month, Eddie Hearn said there was “a good chance” of a fight between domestic rivals Brook and Khan at some stage in 2017, and Khan opened the verbal sparring in an interview with Sky Sports on Friday.

“I’m a better fighter, a much more skilful fighter. I’ve been in with better opposition than Kell,” said Khan, who first wants a tune-up fight to assess the state of his hand, which has undergone an operation.

“I think Golovkin is the only ‘A’ fighter he has fought. With me, I’ve been in with the likes of [Marcos] Maidana, Danny Garcia, Zab Judah – I’ve fought the best names in boxing.

“I think it’s time now where I shut Kell Brook up, and his team, and I settle the score to show who the number one, and the best fighter in the UK, is.

“I am happy to take that fight. I always said Kell Brook has to prove himself and he has done that by getting in the ring with Golovkin.

“He showed he is a tough guy and he’s not afraid of fighting anyone and it’s worth now going into the ring with someone like Kell Brook. No one really knew him in America but now he has made a few noises.

“We do have our problems and we do want to settle the score, but the right way in the boxing ring. Then we can show who the best 147lbs fighter is. I’ve told my team I want the fight.”