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WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames makes his Zuffa Boxing debut on Saturday in a super middleweight bout against Gerome Warburton in the main event of Zuffa Boxing 13 from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Rather than defending his title, Adames steps up in weight for the upcoming showdown.
Adames’ Path to Zuffa Boxing
Adames stands out as a top talent in a challenging middleweight division, establishing himself as a major signing for the young promotion. In October 2022, Adames defeated Juan Macias Montiel to capture the interim WBC title. Following a successful defense against Julian Williams, Adames was elevated to full champion after Jermall Charlo was stripped of the belt.
Since becoming the full champion, Adames has successfully defended his title against Terrell Gausha, fought to a draw against Hamzah Sheeraz, and defeated Austin “Ammo” Williams. Adames joins Aaron McKenna, who secured the IBF title at Zuffa Boxing 10, as middleweight world champions operating under Zuffa.
Expressing enthusiasm upon joining the organization, Adames stated that he views this as a new chapter to make history and face the world’s best fighters on a major stage.
Warburton and the Rest of the Card
Warburton represents a lower tier of competition for Adames, serving as the most formidable opponent Warburton has faced in his career. Warburton enters the bout on a three-fight winning streak following a fourth-round TKO loss to Kieron Conway, with two of those recent victories coming against fellow Englishman Nathan Heaney.
Additionally, former WBO bantamweight champion Jason Moloney makes his Zuffa Boxing debut against Andres Teran at 118 pounds. Moloney lost his WBO crown following hard-fought decisions against Yoshiki Takei and Tenshin Nasukawa, subsequently rebounding with victories over lower-level opponents. Teran boasts a 19-2 record with 14 knockouts, though he has yet to face elite-level competition.
Moloney acknowledged the high stakes, noting that a victory keeps his title aspirations alive while a defeat could jeopardize his career.
The full Zuffa Boxing 13 fight card features Carlos Adames versus Gerome Warburton at super middleweights, Andres Teran versus Jason Moloney at bantamweights, Bruno Surace versus Kamil Bednarek at super middleweights, Radzhab Butaev versus Alexander Castro at middleweights, Ivan Ortiz versus Dariial Kuchmenov at lightweights, Rakhmatullo Boymatov versus Moro Inusah Kanla at light heavyweights, Jakhongir Zokirov versus Brandon Colantonio at heavyweights, Rayan Awaji versus Sudais Lubega at welterweights, and Abdualaziz Alotebi versus Ezra Ssaili at featherweights.
Predictions and Outlook
Adames enters the matchup with extensive experience against elite middleweights, whereas Warburton has not competed at the world championship level. While Warburton operates as a solid B-tier fighter, expectations point toward a comfortable victory for Adames as he tests himself at super middleweight.
As the superior boxer, puncher, and more experienced competitor at the elite level, Adames is favored to secure a finish by targeting the body, similar to the method Conway used to stop Warburton previously. The expert pick for the main event is Carlos Adames via TKO in the fifth round.
