Ricky Hatton believes that Amir Khan could beat Floyd Mayweather should the two meet in the ring.

Khan will defend his light-welterweight titles against Lamont Peterson in December before a possible move into the welterweight division.

If the 24-year-old does make the switch, then a fight with Mayweather is likely to happen.

"He's won two world titles now at the light-welterweight division," Hatton told BBC Radio Five Live. "Timothy Bradley would argue about who is in the number one spot [in the division], but there's no doubt in my mind that it's Amir Khan.

"He's proved that and it's only a matter of time before Amir will do what all fighters want to do. Once you've proved yourself in a division, you want to move up a division and win a world title in another division.

"I was fortunate enough to do that, and I think Amir is well on course to do that. A few years ago, you'd have said, 'No, Floyd Mayweather is a step too far', but the way [Khan] is performing now, it certainly isn't."

Hatton suffered a tenth-round defeat when he fought Mayweather in 2009.