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Katsidis eyes lightweight rematches, rules out Khan for now

Phil D. Jay 
WBN Editor
‘The Great’ focusing on world title challenge

Michael Katsidis is gearing up for another assault on the lightweight division as previously revealed on WBN and hopes that a couple of victories in his native Australia will lead him into another world title bid in 2013.

The 32 year-old two-time interim world champion recently returned home to from an unsuccessful move to America and is hoping to fight before the end of the year, before stepping up his ambitions next year.

“Now that I am back in Australia with a trusted team I am feeling reinvigorated and ready to go. I've got the hunger back and want to take on the world's best lightweights and get that third world title,” Katsidis told World Boxing News.

“With some wins under my belt I would love a lightweight rematch with one of my old foes (Ricky Burns, Graham Earl and Juan Manuel Marquez), which is bound to be an epic Fight of the Year.

“I would like to fight again in 2012 and I have been targeting my gym work for that to happen. The fans have been great in Australia and I would love to bring a world class event here, but we will have to see what happens.”

Katsidis was linked to a fight with the returning Ricky Hatton recently, but told WBN in an earlier interview that the negotiations never became serious as the two will campaign two divisions apart. The exciting Toowoomba scrapper didn’t rule out a clash with former unified world light-welterweight title holder Amir Khan at 140lbs in the future.

“When my name was mentioned with Ricky Hatton the UK fans were very supportive and wanted it to happen but it wasn’t to be,” said Katsidis.

“I also have some great options in the US and I want to fight the best. I will be ready whatever way it goes as win, lose or draw, I am an exciting fighter and someone the fans want to watch live or on PPV. That obviously opens the door for a number of exciting rematches in the lightweight division.

“Amir Khan is another great fighter and this is the type of fight that would fill the pubs and bars, but for now I am focussing on being the best Lightweight in the world.

The tough Aussie will now remain at 135lbs indefinitely after a defeat and a loss up at 140 failed to convince Katsidis that the time was right to make the move up, but as usual ‘The Great’ is willing travel anywhere to fight.  
“When you are a fighter it is really tempting to jump up in weight when a fight has the potential to be explosive and something the fans want to see.

“I don't think that I have lost any of my appeal abroad and I would also love to fight in England again.”

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