Undefeated former WBO light middleweight champion, Demetrius Andrade, is looking to make a big impact in 2018, as he finished this year with a move up to middleweight and now has his eyes set on the best fighters in the weight class. Andrade, 25-0 16 KOs, has long been considered one of the most underrated fighters in the game and he hopes that next year he will get the recognition he has been striving for.

In part 1 of my “On The Ropes” boxing radio interview with Demetrius Andrade, I get his thoughts on his most recent appearance in the ring and talk with him about his move to middleweight. Andrade also discusses who he would like to fight at middleweight and if this move up to 160lbs is permanent. Additionally, Demetrius shares his views on whether or not he feels Canelo Alvarez avoided him. Here is what Demetrius Andrade had to say.

Jenna J: You recently returned to the ring as a middleweight. Can you let the fans know about your performance?

Demetrius Andrade: Yeah, my record is undefeated, I’m 25-0. I’m a two time world champion in the 154lb weight division. I moved to middleweight against the tallest middleweight there is currently today, he was 6’5, had an 83 inch reach, he came in 20lbs heavier than me on the night of the fight. That just goes to show that I’m a risk taker and I’m willing to get in the ring with anybody and show them who is really the best and give the fans what they want to see and also make sure it’s lucrative to the business side.

Jenna J: Now that you are at middleweight, is this your permanent home or will you move down for a certain fight?

Demetrius Andrade: I don’t believe that I need to go back down because when I was at the 154lb division, I couldnd’t get the fights, nobody wants to fight the most feared fighter. I understand that I can be the most feared fighter, but if I’m not fighting the best fighters in the weight class, the business doesn’t do me any good, so I took the risk of going up to the next weight class and fighting bigger guys. I’ve shown that I’m willing to do what I have to do to be the best and the greatest and have a Hall of Fame name.

Jenna J: When you look at the middleweight division, who do you want to step into the ring with?

Demetrius Andrade: The top two guys that are well known in the sport of boxing. The first person is Gennady Golovkin, he’s been fighting at that weight for a while now and he has almost every belt there is. I think he’s only missing the WBO belt. He’s doing a lot of things in boxing as far as making noise and making a name for himself. He’s someone I would love to get in the ring with to showcase my skill and talent and see somebody who is a special one. He’s definitely one of those guys to make that declaration with.

Then you got Canelo Alvarez who is popular and was at the 154lb weight division. I was knocking on his door numerous times trying to make a fight happen with him and he kept staring different ways. Now he’s at the 160lb weight class as I am, so he cannot run from this, eventually it’s going to happen and the best and the strongest will survive.

Jenna J: What do you think are your biggest advantages over Gennady Golovkin in the ring?

Demetrius Andrade: I just feel like I can do everything. I can adjust well — he can too, he’s been around for a long time in the amateur program, so I know he has a lot of experience and he wouldn’t be where is if he didn’t have that experience. I believe you have to tune in and demand and keep speaking about this fight happening so you can see and understand what the results and the differential is between Golovkin and someone like Demetrius Andrade.

Jenna J: You and Canelo were both in the same weight class for a while, do you feel that he ducked you?

Demetrius Andrade: Yeah definitely, and people will hear me say that when I had the WBO Jr Middleweight title, he was supposed to be my mandatory and they somehow took him from being number one and put him somewhere else. I ended up not fighting Canelo Alvarez because I had some politics of boxing business.

I got my belt stripped from me because of lack of activity and all of the sudden here comes Canelo Alvarez fighting for the belt that I got stripped of, but he didn’t want to fight me when I had it. That’s a good example for people to understand.

Jenna J: You are a two time world champion yet a lot of fans aren’t familiar with you because of the politics of the sport. Do you feel you are one of the most underrated fighters in the sport?

Demetrius Andrade: I think I’m the most underrated fighter not in the sport but outside the sport. We have to keep on building and growing and doing everything we have to do while I’m still young, tall, black and handsome. I need to continue to let the people know that there is somebody that you guys are missing and this is Demetrius Andrade, check him out.