Khan set for Barrera bout

Amir Khan is set for the biggest test of his professional career after securing a March 14 fight with Marco Antonio Barrera.

The Mexican, a seven-time, three-weight world champion is regarded as one of the best boxers of his era and has won 64 of his 71 professional contests.

He may be 34, but Barrera remains a formidable test for 22-year-old British lightweight Khan, a silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

Barrera, who won his first world title in 1995, effectively ended the career of another much-touted British fighter when he beat Naseem Hamed in 2001.

Khan recovered from September's 54-second knockout by Breidis Prescot, his first defeat as a professional boxer, with a second-round stoppage of Ireland's Oisin Fagan in December.

Frank Warren, Khan's promoter, admitted the Barrera bout was fraught with risk.

"This is a huge step up for Amir who had some serious thoughts about it," he said. "This is the right fight at this stage of his career. I believe it'll bring out the best in him. This puts him well and truly on the world stage."