Khan: Don't underestimate me

British boxer Amir Khan believes fighters would be wrong to dismiss his ability as he looks to recover from consecutive defeats.

The 25-year-old will face Carlos Molina in Los Angeles on December 15 following losses to Lamont Peterson and Danny Garcia and, although Khan will not under-estimate his unbeaten American opponent, knows he needs to win to silence his critics.

"When the fight was put to Carlos Molina he jumped at the fight because a lot of fighters will now think Amir Khan's confidence will not be the same. But this is the time when I have to prove myself and I will prove myself come December 15. One thing I have never done is taken any fight lightly," he said.

"It has not been a good year, having two defeats. I just have to come back strong and mentally I'm prepared and there aren't going to be any more mistakes.

"All unbeaten fighters are dangerous, I know he is going to be up for this fight because it is a step up for him.

"In a way it is a step up for me because coming back from a defeat I have to win this fight in good fashion."

The former WBA and IBF light-welterweight champion has split from former trainer Freddie Roach and will work with Virgil Hunter for the Molina fight.

He said: "I'm going to be training a hundred times harder than I've ever been training and this big change is going to help."

Meanwhile, Khan did not rule out a fight against fellow Briton Ricky Hatton, now out of retirement and due to take on former WBA champion Vyacheslav Senchenko next month, but believes a world title must be on the line for that to happen.

"If Ricky and I lose these next fights of ours, there will be no point us getting it on," he said in the Daily Mail. "He and I are friends and we've been to each other's houses but if we both get the job done I wouldn't be against us fighting in principle."