Demetrius Andrade is confident that a new relationship can help restore an old rivalry.

The unbeaten 2008 U.S. Olympian and former two-division titlist is locked in for his super middleweight debut, which comes versus Demond Nicholson as part of a January 7 Showtime Pay-Per-View event from Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The matchup is Andrade’s first non-title fight in more than five years, though having a belt around his waist has yet to produce the type of matchups he has long craved.

Chief among his list of preferred fights is a showdown with two-division and reigning WBC middleweight titlist Jermall Charlo. Andrade has long called for the fight, particularly throughout the duration of his WBO middleweight title reign spent exclusively on DAZN. Charlo has long fought on Showtime, where Andrade has landed as a promotional free agent and is no longer interested in hearing excuses for why it can’t happen.

“My preferred preference—and I’m always gonna keep saying it because there’s no more network sh!t—win, lose or draw, [is] Jermall Charlo, bro,” Andrade told a small group of reporters during a Zoom media conference call to discuss his next fight. “That’s all I’m here for. At the end of the day, that’s what I’m here for.

“I got a left hand for him, so we can set that up.”

Andrade (31-0, 19KOs) will return to Showtime for the first time since a June 2016 twelfth-round knockout of Willie Nelson. The victory preceded his second junior middleweight title reign, when Andrade—an undefeated southpaw from Providence, Rhode Island—outpointed Jack Culcay to win the WBA title on the road in Ludwigsafen, Germany.

Two fights later, Andrade became a three-time titlist in two weight divisions after claiming the vacant WBO middleweight belt. Five defenses followed, though none versus the division’s other title claimants nor has he yet faced a former or current titleholder in more than 14 years as a pro.

Andrade’s WBO middleweight reign ended with a whimper, relinquishing the belt last summer in lieu of a mandatory title defense versus Kazakhstan’s Janibek Alimkhanuly. His final title defense—and most recent fight—was a second-round knockout of Ireland’s Jason Quigley last November 19 in Manchester, New Hampshire.

It was also the last fight with Matchroom Boxing for Andrade, who tested the free agent market over the past several months before working out a deal to work in conjunction with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC). His move to 168 should serve well in his new working relationship, as PBC represents fighters such as WBA ‘Regular’ titlist David Morrell (8-0, 7KOs), former titlists David Benavidez (26-0, 23KOs) and Caleb Plant (22-1, 13KOs), as well as Charlo (32-0, 22KOs) who is rumored to make a move up in weight.

“I believe it’s showtime,” Andrade stated in a play on words of his future prospects to land such a fight. “I believe this network I am on now is going to be able to provide that. I was with HBO, I was with Showtime a long time ago when I fought Willie Nelson. I was with DAZN. They had the names for me, they tried to make things work but it didn’t happen.

“I’m back here and I’m looking to make those fights happen. I believe the team at Showtime can make that happen and that’s what I’m here to do.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox