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Boxing
Who should Demetrius Andrade face next, his mandatory or move up to 168lbs?
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WBO world middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade is searching for a career defining fight, but it doesn't look like that will be happening anytime soon.
The American has been ordered to face mandatory Janibek Alimkhanuly to the disappointment of fans across the world.
Now the question is being asked about whether Andrade should continue fighting at middleweight or move up and challenge at super middleweight.
Sergio Mora believes the 33-year-old should move up to 168lbs instead of constantly facing mandatories for his middleweight belt.
"Demetrius Andrade should move up to 168 and try to become a three-division world champion," Mora said on JABS.
"Even though he doesn’t have the Charlos or the Canelos, the big dogs on his resume, he’s going to have the credentials.
"The thing about Andrade is he’s a tall southpaw that’s damn good. He punches hard enough to get your respect and boxes well enough to box circles around you.
"That’s why no one wants to face him.
"He’s making millions off beating mandatories, that’s going to be his legacy."
Chris Mannix on the other hand believes Andrade should have one more run at 160lbs due to there being a lack of options at super middleweight.
"He can move up to 168, but what’s really there for him right now," Mannix claimed.
"The WBO does have a rule where it says if a titleholder at a lower weight class decides to move up can be a mandatory for the champion at the next weight class.
"Andrade could theoretically become the mandatory for one of Canelo’s belts, but there’s no guarantee that the WBO is going to enforce that at any point in 2022.
"He’ll be looking around at 168, ‘I can’t get Caleb Plant to fight me, I can’t get David Benavidez to fight me, where are all the lucrative fights I’m looking for at 168lbs?’
"What I think Andrade should do is make one more run over the next few months at 160."
Mannix also revealed that preliminary discussions have already begun for a potential fight between Andrade and Alimkhanuly, and then chase a fight with the likes of Gennadiy Golovkin and Jaime Munguia if he gets past the Khazak with ease.
"I’ve been told there have been some preliminary discussions between Eddie Hearn and Top Rank about making a fight with Janibek Alimkhanuly, then see what happens with Canelo and if he chooses Jermall Charlo.
"See what happens with Jaime Munguia, if Munguia does not get a Golovkin fight over the next six months, I think Andrade should wait and get one more run at a big fight at 160 before he goes up to 168."
