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Keith Thurman: Shawn Porter is what the fans want, and I would love to make the fans happy

Keith Thurman wants Shawn Porter, saying that's what the fans want to see.

Joe Scarnici

Directly following his three-round win tonight over Julio Diaz, welterweight contender Keith Thurman spoke with the media and told them that Shawn Porter is the guy he wants to face, calling him "the number one option" in the welterweight division, as Thurman (23-0, 21 KO) looks to make his mark at 147 pounds.

"Porter's the number one option. Porter is what the fans want, and I would love to make the fans happy," Thurman said. "We're both young fighters. We're the two youngest American welterweights that are both undefeated. Pretty soon, there will only be one that is undefeated, if the fight happens tomorrow, or later on in our careers."

When asked if he thinks that Porter (24-0-1, 15 KO) will want to fight him next, Thurman wasn't quite as sure, but said he does expect the fight to go down at some point.

"Everybody nowadays -- boxing isn't what it once was, man," said Thurman. "We used to fight for pride, now we fight for the prize. So they try to get as many gifts as they can before they have to show their true skills and talent, and before they truly test themselves as a world champion. But it's gonna come sooner or later. I'm only 25 and he's 26. So just stay tuned."

Porter, of course, successfully defended his belt a week ago with a dominant TKO-4 win against Paulie Malignaggi.

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