Gennady "GGG" Golovkin, the WBA and IBO middleweight champion of the world, has a list of big names that he'd like to face after he takes on Martin Murray in February, but one top fighter was conspicuously absent-super middleweight champ Andre Ward.

"I have big respect for Andre Ward. He has accomplished many things in the ring. My focus is to fight at middleweight unless there is a big fight at 154 or 168 that would be on pay-per-view," Golovkin told RingTV.

"I think both Canelo and Cotto are warriors in the ring. They both have big hearts and both would be a big event and pay-per-view fights."

Golovkin has called out WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto twice, after victories over Daniel Geale and Marco Antonio Rubio, but it appears more likely Cotto will face Canelo Alvarez in May. Last month Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said that Golovkin is an option for the winner of that fight.

With those two names likely off the table, Golovkin has other fighters in mind he'd be willing to face. "Chavez Jr. would be a great fight. We tried to make a fight with him, but he doesn't seem to want to fight me," Golovkin said. "Froch would also be a great fight. All of these guys are big names, and I always want to fight the biggest names possible."

Currently, Golovkin must get past Murray, whom his promoter Tom Loeffler said would defeat Cotto if they fought. "I think Martin Murray is a top middleweight," Golovkin said. "He is very big for middleweight. He did very well with Sergio Martinez in Argentina. I never got the chance to fight Sergio, but fighting the guy that knocked him down will be nice, it will be a great show."