Thurman, from Clearwater, Florida. is unbeaten in 24 pro fights and is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Leonard Bundu last Dec. 13 also at the MGM Grand to retain his WBA welterweight title.
Even before facing Bundo in the ring, Thurman already has Mayweather in sight for a 2015 bout, saying he wants to fight the best in the welterweight limit and Mayweather is the guy.
“I want Mayweather,” said Thurman, who struggled a bit with Bundu last Decmber.. “I want the top dog. He’s getting old and I want to fight him before he retires.”
Thurman is aware that Mayweather is on his last two fights under CBS/Showtime and knows also that he intends to retire soon.
“Mayweather’s on his final lap, I think we all know that,” Thurman said. “He’s not going to be here five years from now. I will be here, but I want to fight the best while I’m in my prime.”
A fight with Mayweather would turn Thurman into an instant millionaire as did Guerrero, who got his millions after facing Mayweather in 2013.
“I want to fight any top welterweight who will face me, but Floyd is in the mix in 2015 because I don’t know if he’ll be fighting after next year. The Showtime contract is his road to retirement. If you can’t retire on that money there’s no hope for you. But he’s got two fights left (on the Showtime contract) and only God knows if he’ll fight again after those two fights.”
Thurman made a name for himself when he fought multiple titleholder Carlos Quintana in 2012 at the Citizen’s Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California in 2012 where he won the WBO and NABO Light Middleweight titles.
Before facing Bundu, Thurman fought some of the elite fighters in the division including Jan Zaveck, Diego Gabriel Chavez, Jesus Soto Karass and Julio Diaz.
Thurman has an impressive amateur record having won 101 fights with 76 KOs . He ended up winning a silver medal in the Olympics trials.
The 26-year-old fighter from Florida was first trained by the late Benjamin Getty who has worked with boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard.
Trainer and Coach Dan Birmingham is no acting as Thurman’s trainer.
