Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao: Welterweights not better than Kell Brook, Amir Khan or Keith Thurman - says Paulie Malignaggi

Former champion Malignaggi says they are not in best three in the world

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao go head-to-head during their only press conference before their upcoming fight last month (GETTY IMAGES)

Former light-welterweight and welterweight world champion Paulie Malignaggi has claimed that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are not even in the top three of the best welterweights in the world, inferior to British pair Amir Khan and Kell Brook plus American Keith Thurman.

WBA and WBC welterweight champion Mayweather faces WBO title holder Pacquiao in Las Vegas on 2 May in one of the most most anticipated boxing bouts in history. It will also be the richest fight in the history of the sport, with at least $300m to be split between the pair, 60/40 in Mayweather's favour.

Malignaggi, however, argues that while Mayweather, 38, and Pacquiao, 36, are the "biggest names", they are not the best fighters. Malignaggi, 34, lost to Khan back in 2010. Khan, meanwhile, has been linked with a domestic battle against IBF champion Brook.

Kell Brook, Amir Khan and Keith Thurman (GETTY IMAGES)

"Here's the thing: I think Brook, Khan and Thurman are the best welterweights in the world right now," Malignaggi told behindthegloves.com

"Mayweather and Pacquiao are the biggest names but I think here we are in 2015, Kell Brook, Keith Thurman and Amir Khan are the best three welterweights in the world and because they are the best three welterweights in the world, you're not going to see them against each other right away.

"It's just not going to happen, there are just too many good welterweights who they can fight.

Paulie Malignaggi has offered his view on the fight (GETTY IMAGES)

"But the first one we'll probably see is Brook v Khan and I think that'll take a year or so."