Keith Thurman will face Shawn Porter for the WBA welterweight title
Sunday 24 January 2016 14:06, UK
Keith Thurman will defend his WBA welterweight championship against Shawn Porter on March 12 in Connecticut, it has been confirmed.
The world title bout means both Thurman (26-2-KO22) and Porter (26-1-1-KO16) are temporarily off the bargaining table as potential future opponents for English pair Kell Brook and Amir Khan.
Porter's only career defeat was for the IBF title against Brook in California in 2014 but he has since strung together two wins, most recently against Adrien Broner last summer, and has now earned a crack at the WBA gold.
Undefeated champion 'One Time' Thurman boxed twice in 2015, beating Robert Guerrero by decision and forcing Luis Collazo to retire after seven rounds.
"This is my year to dominate the welterweight division and I'm excited to be getting ready to take out Shawn Porter," said Thurman.
"I am ready to get back in the ring and bring boxing fans what they've been looking for - the top true welterweight champion of the world, the one who is going to take out all competitors one by one."
Porter added: "Nothing about Keith really makes me nervous. I do know that he's going to be ready for this fight. He's a fighter that has the heart of a lion just like I do. I expect this to be a fight to the finish."
The 147lbs division has emerged as one of the most action-packed in boxing despite the great Floyd Mayweather's retirement last May, as a host of contenders vie for supremacy, including Brook and Khan.
Brook is scheduled to defend his IBF title against mandatory challenger Kevin Bizier two weeks after Thurman faces Porter. Khan is mandatory challenger to the WBC title that Danny Garcia claimed on Saturday night against Guerrero.
