Dubai: British welterweight boxer Amir Khan has accused Floyd Mayweather of cowardice after the American snubbed his advances for a long-awaited showdown for the second time in six months this week.

In February, Mayweather announced he would fight Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao instead of Khan in May, and now the 38-year-old — who is unbeaten in 48 fights, 26 by knockout — is believed to have opted to fight former world champion Andre Berto instead of Khan in September.

The second snub has left 28-year-old Khan scratching his head as he said he had fulfilled everything Mayweather had asked of him in order to obtain that bout, by proving himself in the 147lb weight division.

“He’s 100 per cent scared,” Khan told Gulf News while on holiday in Dubai on Tuesday. “I think Mayweather knows that I’d give him the hardest fight of his career and probably beat him.

“If Mayweather thought it was going to be an easy fight, it would have happened a long time ago.

“Mayweather knows, stylistically, that I am the worst fight for him, because my hand speed, movement, skill, accuracy and power, is not what he needs. So Mayweather will take the easy fight and fight Berto instead of me because he knows Berto won’t give him any problems, whereas Amir is young and hungry.”

Khan — whose own record reads 31 wins, 19 by knockout, and three losses — sounded sceptical when asked if he held out any hope of ever facing Mayweather in the future, especially as the September fight is being billed as Mayweather’s 49th and final bout.

“If he said this is his last fight, he’s ending his career on a low note. Why’s he not fighting me? I’m a big name, if he really thinks he can beat me, and he does, then he’ll go down in history as a great fighter. It just seems to me that he doesn’t need me because I’m going to cause him problems.”

Asked what would happen now, Khan replied: “Now we go to Plan B. I’ll speak to my adviser Al Haymon and just take it from there. I’ll fight anyone they put in front of me. There are other names. Keith Thurman, or rematches against Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson [both of whom he lost against at 140lbs], which would be good for me because both have moved up to 147lbs.

“Or there’s the Kell Brook fight that could happen. I’m speaking to his team, so there’s still big fight possibilities in the UK, but I just want to prove myself against Mayweather, because beating Mayweather, who’s unbeaten, and taking away his aura, would be the best thing ever.”