Carlos Adames Signs With Zuffa Boxing
Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing added a major world titleholder to its active roster when WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames signed a multi-fight promotional agreement. The 32-year-old Dominican champion, nicknamed “Caballo Bronco,” brings a 25-1-1 record with 18 knockouts to a stable that already includes middleweights Denzel Bentley and Aaron McKenna.
✍️ADAMES JOINS ZUFFA Zuffa Boxing has formally announced the signing of WBC Middleweight World Champion Carlos Adames on a new promotional deal. pic.twitter.com/QIUO4LuxAH
Adames fights out of Las Vegas as The Ring’s top-ranked 160-pound fighter. He enters the promotional deal carrying an unbeaten streak of seven fights since moving up to middleweight in 2021, alongside three successful defenses of his WBC title.
Championship Resume and Recent Bouts
Adames secured his spot at the top of the division through a series of high-profile victories over several years. He most recently defeated Austin Williams by unanimous decision on March 21, 2026. Prior to that win, he fought current WBO super middleweight titleholder Hamzah Sheeraz to a split draw in February 2025. Most observers felt that bout should have been a wide decision win for the veteran.
Before facing Sheeraz, Adames earned a unanimous decision victory over Terrell Gausha in June 2024 and stopped former world champion Julian Williams in the ninth round of their June 2023 matchup. His resume also includes victories over Sergiy Derevyanchenko. His lone professional defeat occurred in 2019, when he lost a close decision to Patrick Teixeira in an interim title bout at 154 pounds. Before turning professional in 2015, Adames compiled more than 200 amateur victories, highlighted by a gold medal at the 2012 Pan American Youth Championships.
Mandatory Defense and Roster Position
The multi-fight agreement gives Zuffa Boxing an established champion capable of headlining major events, though immediate logistical hurdles face the new partnership. Adames faces a mandatory title-defense situation against Meiirim Nursultanov, with an October 20 deadline reportedly looming. Meanwhile, division rival Erislandy Lara retains the WBA middleweight title, keeping potential unification bouts on the table as White’s promotion expands its footprint in the weight class.
“This is a new chapter in my career, and I’m here to make history,” Adames said. “Zuffa Boxing is building something special, and I want to be part of it. I’m ready to face the best fighters in the world on the biggest stage. The best of ‘Caballo Bronco’ is yet to come.”
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