Former light-heavyweight champion Amir Khan says that the much awaited fight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor is as much a contest between boxing and MMA than the individuals concerned.

Speaking to Radio Five Live breakfast, Khan told 5 live Breakfast: “It’s a fight between MMA and boxing, not between Mayweather and Conor McGregor but the winner will only be great for their sport.”

Khan added: “If Mayweather wins in good style it could turn a lot of the UFC fans back on to boxing especially as he believes it is a more exciting sport."

Khan said it is critical for boxing that Mayweather is victorious as the UFC is a growing juggernaut in combat sports and has the ability to take all before it.

"UFC is getting huge numbers on Pay-Per-View compared to boxing.

"UFC is getting 1.5-2 million in viewers compared to 500,000 for boxing.

"So that is why it is a fight between the two sports more than anything."

There is a fair bit of rivalry between the two sports with the traditional fight fansfans regularly throwing disparaging comments to the "new kid on the block."

However, UFC boss Dana White is one of the most shrewdest promoters in all of sport, and has done a remarkable job in even putting this one-time underground sport into the conversation with boxing.

White has also shown that UFC offers equal opportunity as not only the men fight, but the female fight too, and their cards are quite often just as entertaining as their male counterparts.

With so much on the line, it sets the scene for a classic battle, not just between Mayweather and McGregor, but the two sports as well.

Fams of both sports will be firmly in their mans corner come Sunday morning.