The improvements in Amir Khan were evident in his last fight against the tough veteran Luis Collazo on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather’s clash with Argentina’s Marcos Maidana at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas two weeks ago.

His third fight under respected trainer Virgil Hunter, Khan displayed impressive control and defence, two words absent when taking account of his fights and performances previously.

This wasn’t the fighter who relies on blistering handspeed and aggression to overcome the opposition, available to be hit in the process as he leaves more gaps in his defence than your average pub football team.

Making his performance and victory more impressive was the fact it was the Bolton star’s first outing at welterweight. He had Collazo down on the canvas three times yet failed to finish him.

However, this was more to do with Collazo’s heart and Khan’s unwillingness to take the kind of chances that saw him lose to Danny Garcia by KO in 2012, when he stayed in the pocket too long during an exchange and got taken out by a left hook, than it was with a lack of power.

Khan’s performance against Collazo was the most impressive on the bill. He even outshone Floyd Mayweather, who made heavy work of Maidana, a fighter Khan has already defeated.

Regardless, the chances of a Khan v Mayweather fight happening next seem remote at this point. For one thing, given the way that Maidana pushed Mayweather more than any other opponent has done in many a year, calls for a rematch show no signs of abating.

Plus, Mayweather’s schedule under his mega-money Showtime deal involves him fighting twice a year in May and September.

Khan, a practicing Muslim, has already stated that fighting in September is impossible for him as it is too soon to Ramadan.

Perhaps, then, there is a chance that Mayweather will fight Khan in May 2015. But, then again, why would he risk an unbeaten record of 46 fights — 47 assuming he overcomes his next as yet unnamed opponent in September.

All Amir Khan can do is work himself into the ground trying to improve and see what fights become available. A rematch against Danny Garcia whets the appetite, as does a contest against Adrien Broner, who also fought on the Mayweather undercard two weeks ago. A name many have mooted for Khan is Sheffield’s Kell Brook who has amassed his own impressive unbeaten record of 32-0.

Brook is being lined up to face Shawn Porter next, who just put in a devastating performance against Paulie Malignaggi to retain his IBF welterweight title. The Sheffield fighter will have to go some to defeat Porter though, who’s being touted as a future pound-for-pound king.

Whatever happens, the sheer number of excellent potential contests at welterweight makes it the most exciting division in boxing at present.