Ricky Hatton insists it is unlikely he will fight Amir Khan when he makes his comeback to the ring.

But he does not entirely rule out what would be one of the biggest all-British fights in boxing history.

Hatton, the four-times former world champion, said: "I don't have to fight Amir Khan.

"Amir Khan is a friend of mine. He's promoted by Frank Warren so with the differences between me and Frank Warren over the years I don't believe that to be possible.

"I'm very proud of what Amir Khan has done, the way he's turned his career around, winning the world title.

"But Amir Khan has still to do it at two weights and win four more world titles like I have done.

"It's not an impossibility but I'd say that's not top of the list."

Hatton, who admitted his weight had ballooned to around 12st 10lbs, maintained he wanted to fight once more to erase the memories of his two defeats against Floyd Mayweather Jnr and especially Manny Pacquiao, the latter who knocked him out in the second round of their fight in Las Vegas last May.

He is due to take a three-week holiday in Australia before going on a diet to lose more than two stones and back into training.

His insists, however, his next fight, which could be against Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez, will be his last.

The 31-year-old, speaking on Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme, said: "I think I would call it a day.

"I just want one fight to come back and prove the critics wrong so the last memory is that Ricky fought one of the best pound for pound fighters, so that nobody could say Ricky Hatton hasn't finished at the top.

"That's the only thing left that I want to prove."