By Steve Kim

With Keith Thurman no longer the WBC welterweight champion, the title is now up for grabs between their two top rated contenders, former beltholders Shawn Porter (28-2-1, 17 KOs) and Danny Garcia (34-1, 20 KOs).

Porter has made it very clear recently that he yearns for this particular match-up.

But as of yet, he has yet to be contacted by the WBC.

"I can't say that we've been informed by the WBC, I actually have not made a call to the WBC and I'm not positive if my dad (Kenny) has, either," he told BoxingScene.com.

"But I can tell you that this fight is going to happen, myself and Danny Garcia, we don't know when or where but this fight is going to be the next big welterweight match-up this year."

So does Porter think that Garcia will finally be amenable to making this fight?

"I do, I think he's game for this fight. For a long time I have always considered what it would take for Danny Garcia to fight me understanding the incentives he needs to fight me and I think now coming off that win he had against Brandon Rios and being able to take me on to win back the WBC title, it's enough incentive for him to fight. Along with of course the money he'll make as well as his sense of being the A-side fighter," said Porter, who last fought in November defeating the rugged Adrian Granados.

For him, just getting the fight is the most important thing - "Myself, I was born a B-side fighter so that doesn't matter to me, at all. So I think now he has enough incentive to get in the ring with me and I know it's going to happen this year."

When asked about the time frame for making this fight, WBC president said (via email): "we ordered the fight with purse bid by end of May , so fight would be around August - September."

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com