By Keith Idec

Shawn Porter suspects Keith Thurman thinks he is vulnerable because Adrien Broner floored Porter in the 12th round of their otherwise one-sided fight nearly eight months ago.

“Honestly, I think he thinks I can be hit and dropped and stopped,” Porter told BoxingScene.com. “But he’s wrong. If he took that from that knockdown, then he’s taking the wrong thing from it. That’s the wrong perception. It was definitely a lapse of focus, and I’ve definitely learned from that and moved on from that.”

Porter (26-1-1, 16 KOs), of Akron, Ohio, and Thurman (26-0, 22 KOs), of Clearwater, Florida, are preparing for their WBA welterweight title fight March 12 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut (CBS). The 28-year-old Porter and his father/trainer, Ken Porter, have emphasized during training camp how to avoid making a mistake similar to what led to Broner dropping Porter with a left hook just 10 seconds into the 12th round of a bout Porter won by unanimous decision (118-108, 115-111, 114-112) on June 20 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“I know that there was a lapse there in my focus and I know how it feels to have that focus, and then go away from it,” Porter said. “And I know with this fight in particular, especially with Keith being somewhat of an unorthodox-punching, unpredictable kind of guy, I have to stay locked in for this fight. I have to stay locked in until it’s over. And I’m prepared to do that. I know I am.”

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.