Alvarez Vs Khan set for May 7th

In a surprising match up, middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and welterweight contender Amir Khan finalized a deal Tuesday to meet for Alvarez’s world title on May 7, Golden Boy Promotions announced.

The fight, made without even a whisper being leaked, will headline an HBO PPV card and take place at Alvarez’s preferred contract weight of 155 pounds. That is five pounds below the middleweight limit and one above the junior middleweight limit. It is also an accommodation to the smaller Khan, a former unified junior welterweight titleholder who has been a contender in the 147-pound welterweight division since 2014.

“I know Canelo fights the best and wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to face me like others have,” Khan said. “My goal is to always fight the biggest names and the best fighters. That is why I’m excited for this fight. Also, I would like to thank my team and Golden Boy Promotions for this opportunity. I know I have the speed and ability to beat him and will give my fans what they deserve on May 7.”

Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs), 25, a former unified junior middleweight titleholder, has won four fights in a row since a one-sided decision loss to Mayweather in their September 2013 blockbuster.

Khan (31-3, 19 KOs), 29, a 2004 Olympic silver medalist, won a junior welterweight world title in 2009 and made five successful defenses, including unifying two 140-pound belts. Since back-to-back losses, a controversial decision to Lamont Peterson in 2011 and a knockout loss to Danny Garcia in 2012, Khan has won five fights in a row but been relatively inactive with only one bout in 2013 and one in 2015.