WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman has been forced to postpone his upcoming bout with Shawn Porter after suffering an injury in a car accident.

Thurman was set to defend his title at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut on March 12 before he suffered a neck injury.

The 27-year-old was hoping to extend his unbeaten record which currently stands at 26 wins, with 22 of those victories coming by knockout.

His promoter, Lou Di Bella, has confirmed Thurman’s condition is not serious although he admits the Florida-born star was fortunate to have avoided a more serious injury.

“I saw pictures of the car, and he’s a very lucky young man,” DiBella told Yahoo Sports.

“While it’s unfortunate that we must temporarily postpone this marquee match-up, a main event of the magnitude of Thurman vs. Porter requires both fighters be healthy and at their best.

“Keith is anxious to resume training as soon he is able and both he and Shawn are looking forward to a new fight date.”

Thurman has not yet been cleared to resume training and reports suggest he will be forced to rest for at least four weeks.

The setback comes as a big blow for ‘One Time’ who was hoping to secure a unification fight later in the year.

Both Kell Brook and Danny Garcia have been mentioned as possible opponents, while Amir Khan is also an option if he drops down from middleweight.