By Radio Rahim

IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence (22-0, 19 KOs) will not allow himself to get fixated on a unification with WBC, WBA champion Keith Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs).

Spence wants to unify the division, but finds it discouraging that Thurman is not really interested in fighting him sooner than later.

In several interviews, Thurman made it known that a contest with Spence was not something that he envisions taking place in 2018.

Thurman believes the contest needs an adequate amount of time to properly build into a much bigger fight.

Spence, who captured the IBF title last May with a stoppage of Kell Brook, is making his first defense of that belt on January 20th against former world champion Lamont Peterson at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Thurman is reportedly in the plans to fight on a date in April, with former champion Jessie Vargas being mentioned as a potential opponent.

According to Spence, he intends to continue forward in his career by fighting anyone and everyone who is willing to fight him.

He does not view Thurman as being someone who possesses the same type of standing, based on legacy and monetary gain, as a Floyd Mayweather - a boxer who during his time in the welterweight division was the golden goose and the must-fight opponent for everyone at 147.

"It's up to them. It takes two. If they don't want to fight, you can't make them fight. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and keep fighting other guys who are willing to step up, like Lamont," Spence told BoxingScene.com.

"I don't really care [about what Thurman says]. It is what it is. It's not like he's a Floyd Mayweather where I need to fight him or he's the big money fight. There are still other fighters out there. I'm just going to keep doing me, keep winning, keep adding to my legacy - and the people know the truth. They who's willing to fight whoever. If he's not willing to fight me until 2019 or 2020, that's on him - I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing."