British superstar Amir Khan (31-4, 19 KOs) is still hoping to get in the ring with his former sparring partner, eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs).
The former champion will end a near two year hiatus from the sport with a bout in Liverpool on April 21 against an unnamed opponent.
The 31-year-old — whose most recent activity was spent on a reality show in the jungle — made the announcement alongside British boxing promoter Eddie Hearn with whom he has signed a three fight deal.
The 2004 Olympic lightweight silver medalist’s last outing was back in May 2016 when he stepped up to a catch-weight of 155-pounds for an HBO pay-per-view clash with then WBC middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and was knocked out in the sixth round.
Khan said his ambition is to taste what it is like to be world champion again having been the unified junior welterweight world champion — holding the WBA belt from 2009-12 and the IBF version in 2011.
Pacquiao has been out of the ring since suffering an upset decision loss to Australian Olympian Jeff Horn last July. The 39-year-old Filipino boxer is expected to return on a date in April.
At one time they trained side by side for years, when Freddie Roach was their mutual head trainer. Khan left Roach in 2012 and hired Virgil Hunter.
"I still think he's got a few fights left in him. A huge name in boxing, being one of the biggest names in the welterweight division still, even though he was beaten by Mayweather, then Jeff Horn. I think he won that fight, but he didn't get it," Khan told Sky Sports.
"In his last two years, he's had two defeats, but look he's still up there as one of the top fighters in the welterweight division. To fight someone like him and to be in the same ring as someone like him would be amazing. He's a legend in the sport already, but he still wants to keep on fighting. Imagine being put in the ring with him would be something, I would love that."