A potential blockbuster fight between Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan is reportedly "almost certain" to happen in the first or second quarter of next year as Top Rank chief Bob Arum begins to run his machinery in order to set up a meeting between the two well-known fighters.

Bleacher Report indicated that Arum's initial plan is to stage it in the Middle East, but not in Dubai. If it does not work out, then the bout will be held in Las Vegas, Arum said.

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The 28-year-old Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) had been clamoring for a mega-fight with pay-per-view king Floyd Mayweather Jr. for two years now and with the latter choosing former two-time world champion Andre Berto for his supposed to be final fight on September 12, the Bolton native missed on the opportunity again.

But Pacquiao (57-6, 38 KOs), who had been ceremoniously beaten by Mayweather during the "Fight of the Century" last May, is reportedly willing to give Khan the mega-fight that he had been waiting for all throughout his career.

Arum commented that the Mayweather-Berto fight was a "farce," and that Money should have fought King Khan instead to generate more interest and credibility. He also confirmed that Pacquiao is not backing down Khan's challenge, unlike Mayweather.

There were speculations that the Pac-Man would be able to fight in December this year, but according to his adviser, Michael Koncz, the more realistic timeline for Pacquiao's complete healing would be by late February or early March next year.

Meanwhile, before the Pacquiao fight will happen, Khan and his camp are reportedly intending to schedule a match this fall. The Briton's choices of opponents are Keith Thurman, Lamont Peterson, or Danny Garcia, according to Boxing News 24.

"I've said I want to fight the big names. It could be Thurman, the Garcia rematch, Peterson rematch," said Khan. "A lot of fighters say they'll fight anyone, but when it comes down to it, they never want to sign the contract."

Daily Mail Online reported that the Dubai location for Pacquiao-Khan is not available as of the moment so Arum was thinking about staging it in Abu Dhabi as an alternative. If all else fails, it will be back to Vegas for the 83-year-old veteran promoter and his crew.

TagsBoxing, Boxing 2015, Boxing News, Boxing News 2015, Boxing Rumors, Boxing Rumors 2015, manny pacquiao, Amir Khan, Bob Arum