OLYMPIC champion Mario Kinderlan has confirmed he will be fighting for Cuba in Liverpool - boosting Amir Khan's hopes of bringing his own amateur career to a glittering end.

Khan had been hoping to attract the legendary Cuban to his club show at the Reebok Stadium on April 16, for a fight which many believe will be his last as an amateur.

The bout would be a rematch of the Athens Olympic Final, which Kinderlan won 30-22, and has attracted the attention of promoter Frank Warren.

But in order to compete at the Bury ABC event, Kinderlan would have to pull out of a scheduled Four Nations match in Dublin, and Khan may need permission from the ABA.

Khan's camp have enjoyed a rocky relationship with the sport's amateur body over recent months, beginning with a row over ticketing which resulted in Amir Khan pulling out of the ABA championships.

But now it appears that bridges will have to be mended between the two parties if the much-anticipated Khan-Kinderlan fight will go ahead.

Khan's back up plan had been to fight ABA champion Michael Grant, but this now looks unlikely after the Enfield youngster announced his decision to turn professional.

Khan insists he has not made a decision on when he will turn pro, and has not ruled out fighting in the Commonwealth Games next year in Melbourne.

"I think there is a chance," he said. "It's only a year away, so there might be a chance I might be in that as well. I'm a little bit tempted.

"At the moment I'm thinking two years, but I'll wait until after April 16 and see what happens.

"You never know, it might not be my last amateur fight, it just depends."

One fighter who believes Khan should turn professional is American Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward who made the decision immediately after Athens.

He said: "It's hard to say what he should do because he will know better than anyone else, but from what I saw of him at the Olympics, he's a very tough kid and he certainly has the ability to make it as a professional.

"If he feels that he's mentally prepared for the grind of professional boxing, if he feels he's strong enough, and if he has the right people around him, then I would say go for it."