By Phil D. Jay

Three-weight WBC champion Humberto Soto is fully focused on facing dangerous Argentina Lucas Matthysse at the Staples Center this weekend, but knows he isn’t far away from another world title shot.

The 32 year-old, who has won 58 of 68 contests, has claimed green belts from featherweight to lightweight and hopes to face the winner of next month’s WBC light-welterweight title bout that takes place at the Mandalay Bay.

“I would love to fight the winner of the Danny Garcia-Amir Khan fight,” Soto told World Boxing News.

“That would definitely be the biggest fight of my career.”

Asked whether he would continue to pursue belts at higher weight-classes if he achieves his goal of becoming a four-weight belt holder, Soto replied: “I don't know. It depends on how long I'm able to fight at my best.

“If I go as long as Bernard Hopkins, maybe I'll wind up a cruiserweight,” he joked.

“My promoter has told me that my next fight should be for the world title so if I win this weekend and look good then I should get my shot.

Soto also went on to declare his interest in fighting compatriots Juan Manuel Marquez or Erik Morales, naming them as legends, and rightly so, as he hopes to one day be mentioned in the same breath is ‘his great country men,’

The 140lb division surrounding the WBC title is one of the more complex at the moment as Ajose Olusegun has been the mandatory challenger for almost a year without getting his shot.

Former unified champion Khan has now stepped in to fight when it should have been the Nigerian-born Londoner and the WBC are yet to clarify whether a deal has been reached for Olusegun to step aside.

Soto and Matthysse will now fight for the number two mandatory spot behind Olusegun, although they may be bumped up if Amir Khan moves up following his fight with Garcia on July 14.

A welterweight-bound Khan would almost certainly render the title vacant and that would leave Olusegun and the winner of Soto v Matthysse to fight it out for the vacated belt in the autumn (fall).

Phil D. Jay covers boxing for worldboxingnews.net