England's Amir Khan will move up from welterweight on Saturday to challenge middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) will look to use strategy and speed to spring a surprise upset against Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs), who is much heavier, packs a more powerful punch and is a heavy favorite to win by knockout.
If Khan hopes to prove the doubters wrong, he needs to take into account the following five keys.
1. Stick and move
The majority of expert predictions point to Khan suffering an early defeat by knockout thanks to his opponent's advantages in power and size. In order to confound these odds, Khan must first dodge Alvarez's punches with constant movement, looking to exit to his right. Then, just as Floyd Mayweather did against Alvarez, Khan will need to move back in and look to sting Alvarez with quick right hands over the jab.
2. Swivel the hips
If Khan bulks up and weighs in at the full 155 pounds, his reduced speed will make exchanges inevitable. When it comes to standing in the pocket and trading with Alvarez, it will be important for Khan to use waist movement to slip the Mexican's left hooks and exploit his defensive frailties. This will open up opportunities for Khan to land right hands on the outside or hooks to the body.
3. Look to counter
Alvarez is slow and often telegraphs his punches, meaning Khan's speed and reputation as an explosive offensive fighter will be key, especially if he can time Alvarez with counter shots. Khan will need to sidestep Alvarez and answer back with speed. Luring Alvarez forward before catching him clean could prove to be a good tactic for Khan. Connecting with clean counter punches, stinging Alvarez and making him look bad may be just enough to earn a surprise victory on the scorecards if Khan can go the distance.
4. Don't get cornered
We can speculate about several offensive or defensive options, but none of it will make any difference if Khan is not prepared to move his legs throughout the fight. Against an opponent who struggles against elusive fighters, leg movement will enable Khan to dodge power punches and frustrate Alvarez. But in order to do this, Khan will need to stay out of the corners, where his weak chin could get him in trouble against a puncher like Alvarez.
5. Believe in magic
Trainer Virgil Hunter has devised a plan based upon Khan's added weight. While it's difficult to predict whether the plan will work, the renowned trainer has been working hard on strategies and is set to play a key role in this narrative of the fight. Khan's success will be dependent upon carrying out Hunter's game plan. But it will also take some magic, luck and likely a perfect performance from Khan in order to get the job done.