One of boxing's premier middleweights makes his return to the ring as Demetrius Andrade puts his WBO title on the line against mandatory challenge Liam Williams from Hard Rock Live at Hard Rock Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Fla. The card airs exclusively on DAZN in over 200 countries and territories. 

Andrade was looking to capitalize on his dominant ninth-round stoppage win over Luke Keeler in January 2020 to successfully defend his belt for the third time. He wanted the marquee names at either middleweight or super-middleweight, including Canelo Alvarez, Gennadiy Golovkin, Billy Joe Saunders, or Jermell Charlo. The COVID-19 pandemic hit and ruined those plans. With Alvarez facing Saunders on May 8 and the uncertainty of when Golovkin and Charlo will get back to action, Andrade decided to take his mandatory so he can attempt to secure a huge fight later on in the year.

“Liam Williams, you got what you wanted,” Andrade said in a press release when the fight was first announced. “You ran your mouth, got your rating up, and here we go. April 17, your career ends. Or maybe you go back to headlining small club shows in the UK. I don’t know. What I do know is that you’re getting beaten badly, and then I’m on to much bigger fights and bigger nights in my career. 
 
“It’s no secret, this isn’t the fight I wanted, but now it’s here, and I will be taking care of business, taking care of Liam Williams in spectacular fashion come April 17. Then it’s whoever wants it. Canelo. GGG. Saunders. Charlo. Plant. I’m here. Undefeated. Two-division world champion. Current middleweight champion of the world. I dare one of you to say my name.”

In what is the biggest fight of his career, Williams competes in the United States for the first time. Since losing back-to-back tilts to former world champion Liam Smith, Williams has reeled off seven consecutive wins, six of them coming via stoppage, including in his most recent outing in October when he knocked out Andrew Robinson. Williams has made it clear that he plans on taking care of Andrade and winning his first major world title.

“I’ve been quite vocal saying I’ll smash him, and I actually am going to,” Williams said. “I’ve waited for this for too long now. I’m not going to let it slip through my fingers. I’ll grab the opportunity with both hands. I just think he’s a complete weirdo, a very strange man. I’ve watched him for some time. I used to be a bit of a fan of him back then. Now I get the chance to share a ring with him and punch his face in, and I can’t wait to do it. I’m going to punch lumps out of him nonstop.
 
“The first couple of rounds could be tricky, but I believe that I will get on top of him and start beating him up. I think he might overlook me, possibly. To be honest, maybe he has deserved to get a fight with Canelo, GGG. He’s been world champion for a long time, a two-weight and three-time champion, so he’s probably deserved those fights. But his time is up now, and once I deal with him, I’ll get those fights.
 
Can Williams back up his bravado, or does Andrade continue his dominance?