Williams earns Andrade respect in taking champion all the way

Liam Williams was beaten on points after being floored in the second round and cut to the eye in the fifth by World Boxing Organisation middleweight title holder Demetrius Andrade in Miami.

The Welshman insisted that he would “stay at world level” but on the night the slippery American was too elusive and defended his crown with a landslide unanimous victory on the judges’ cards. “He was too tricky, but I took his best shots and knew I could keep going,” said Williams after the 116-111, 118-109 (twice) judges’ scores were called, as Andrade retained his 160lb crown for the fourth time.

Williams’ modus operandi is to thresh in front of opponents, while Andrade has spent a career bouncing into range, landing powerful shots, allied with moving elusively around the ring. Down in the second from a one-two – and up only at the count of nine – his right eye cut in the fifth, and behind on the scorecards, Williams never lost heart. The 28-year-old from the Rhondda Valley then hurt Andrade, who was coming off a pandemic-induced 15-month lay-off, in the ninth and never stopped advancing on the champion.

“Hell of a fighter, tough, strong,” Andrade said of his Welsh foe, having spoken to Williams at length in the ring afterwards. “I told him he will come back and be a world champion. He comes to fight and that’s the type of fight people want to see me in. My hat goes off to him.”

Williams took all of Andrade’s punches, including his uppercuts, and continued to march forwards, though unable to land cleanly with most of them as the champion ducked, weaved, danced and held.

“I know I’m tough, everyone else knows I’m tough,” Williams said. “When I went down I just thought I’ve taken the best shot he’s got and he didn’t keep me down, so I don’t have anything to fear.”

Williams, who dropped to a third defeat in 27 fights after being mandatory challenger for the WBO belt, said: “He’s better than I thought. He’s more slippery than he looks on TV. I couldn’t get going and land my combinations and get my shots off.”