It's a bit of a stereotype to always pick against Khan in matchups with punchers, but Matthysse was a very big puncher and a high-quality pressure fighter who would be constantly in range and constantly letting his hands go. Matthysse KO.
Khan would look good for a few rounds but I cannot see him avoiding Matthysse power punches for the duration of the fight. Once that happens he would get hammered. Probably in the middle rounds.
I was big Matthysse fan and when They were both active, I would've picked Lucas - even before Khan was ruined by Garcia. Right now, I'm not so sure. Matthysse disappointed me a bit, in his big fights. Looking back, I don't think He had the same mental toughness and spirit as Maidana - even if He was more talented and better technically. I think Khan from Maidana fight could probably outbox Matthysse too.
Good point. Although both big punchers Maidana and Matthysse were quite different stylistically. I had assumed he would get caught but it’s not a given that he loses. Somehow the Maidana fight had slipped my mind.
He certainly could get caught, He always had lapses in concentration - but I think one overlooked possibility is Khan hurting Matthysse to slow him down. I think He had enough power to do it. It's a good match-up. In general, I think We didn't get all We could out of that era of Super Lightweights.