Khan heads for Crawford showdown with hopeful message for Dubai fight fans
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 12 February 2019: Boxer Amir Khan, who has punched his way soaring to an estimated $30 million fortune, says one of the best money decisions of his career was shaped in Dubai where he hopes to climb into the ring before hanging up his gloves.
Khan, who admits to making some bad decisions earlier in his career, has since been wise enough to protect his earnings against the financial traps that have broken many other boxing stars, former world champion Mike Tyson among them.
There are a lot of people out there who will promise you the world, but if it sounds too good to be true, it is, says the 32 year old British fighter who takes on Americas undefeated WBO welterweight world champion Terence Crawford on 20 April in Madison Square Gardens in New York City.
Ive made mistakes and learnt from them. My advice to anyone with money that other people want to get their hands on is do your research, ask as many questions as you can, trust your gut instinct and try not to surround yourself with yes men.
Khan followed his own advice and turned to Berkeley Assets, the private equity firm with offices in Dubai and London, to help build more financial security for himself and his family.
The company brought him out to the emirate a few weeks ago to unveil him as their brand ambassador and discuss new business opportunities.
Looking after his interests in Dubai is Omar Jackson, Partner of Berkeley Assets, a keen boxing enthusiast himself who trains in a local gym and will be ringside for Khans much-anticipated bout with Crawford.
The partnership began last summer when Berkeley Assets blockchain technology company, Cryptech World, sponsored Khans fight against Colombian Samuel Vargas, which he won on a unanimous points decision in Birmingham.
Things have moved on since then, and it feels like the right fit, says Khan. Omar wouldnt last long with me in the ring just joking but I know Ive made one of my best money decisions.
Khan, who has been a regular visitor to Dubai with wife Faryal in recent years, says he can count on one hand the number of fights he has left before retiring from the sport and wants one of them to take place in the emirate.
Theres been quite a lot of talk about it happening, and Id love to have a fight in Dubai, where Ive got a lot of fans and has become my second home, he said.
Quite a lot of things have to come together to make it happen, but one thing Ive learnt in my career is that boxing can produce surprises, so dont rule it out.
For the time being, my focus is the Terence Crawford fight. I couldnt say no to it. I needed the fight to motivate me to train hard, and this is a massive fight. If I win, people will remember me as a great champion.
