Roach: Khan can grow as world champion

Amir Khan's status as a world champion will naturally improve him as a fighter, according to his trainer Freddie Roach.

Khan takes on Dmitriy Salita at Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena this weekend in what will be his first fight since claiming the WBA light-welterweight title from Andreas Kotelnik in July.

"Winning world titles makes guys better fighters," said Roach. "Some guys get satisfied and just take it for granted, but not Amir - he wants to learn to get better."

He added: "Just being the champion, he has pride and he doesn't want to lose that title. It is going to make him that much tougher."

Roach, who also trains multi-weight champion Manny Pacquiao - the world's best pound-for-pound boxer, believes Khan's continued physical development will see him climbing the weight divisions as time goes on.

"He will be a welterweight some day in the near future," Roach said.

"As long as he carries that speed and power up with him, we'll climb as we go.

"Not everyone can do that of course, and Pacquiao is an unusual person - to go from 112 pounds to 147 is quite a jump.

"But he (Khan) has filled out a little bit as we have gone and he went from a boy to a man."