Zuffa Boxing Signs Carlos Adames, Controls Middleweight Division

• WBC World Middleweight champion Carlos Adames of the Dominican Republic is Zuffa Boxing’s newest signing.
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• Ring Magazine ranks Adames as the world’s top middleweight.

• Zuffa Boxing has now signed three of the middleweight world champions.

WBC World Middleweight champion Carlos Adames of the Dominican Republic is Zuffa Boxing’s newest signing.

Ring Magazine ranks Adames as the world’s top middleweight.

Zuffa Boxing has now signed three of the middleweight world champions.

Zuffa Boxing announced today that WBC Middleweight World Champion Carlos “Caballo Bronco” Adames of the Dominican Republic has signed a multi-fight promotional contract with the promoter.

An announcement regarding the scheduling of Adames’ debut in the ring for Zuffa is reported to take place “shortly.”

Ring Magazine ranks Adames as the top middleweight in the world.

In a written statement, Adames said, “This is a new chapter in my career, and I’m here to make history. 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.”

The 32-year-old Adames (25-1-1, 18 KOs) is an 11-year pro. He is unbeaten in his seven middleweight bouts since moving up in 2021.

He has defended his WBC title three times, including a hard-fought draw against Hamzah Sheeraz last year and a one-sided decision over Austin “Ammo” Williams in March.

As a super welterweight, Adames knocked out former unified world champion Julian Williams in nine rounds.

As an amateur, Adames won more than 200 fights and competed internationally, capturing gold at the 2012 Pan American Youth Championships and the 2015 Jose Cheo Aponte Tournament.

With Adames on its roster, Zuffa Boxing now promotes three of the four world middleweight champions.

Aaron McKenna is now the IBF World Middleweight champion with a victory in front of his Irish fans in Dublin Saturday. Photo: Zuffa Boxing

Adames joins IBF World Middleweight champion Aaron McKenna of Ireland (21-0, 10 KOs), who won his first title at Zuffa Boxing 10, and WBO Interim World Middleweight champion Denzel Bentley of England (22-3-1, 18 KOs).

McKenna won the vacant title in a decision over Etinosa Oliha of Italy at Dublin’s 3Arena on August 8.

Bentley is scheduled to face Shane Mosley Jr. of Las Vegas (23-5, 13 KOs) at London’s Copper Box Arena in the main event of Zuffa Boxing 12 on November 7. Mosley Jr. soundly beat Serhii Bohachuk at Zuffa Boxing 06 in his best performance to date.

Bentley was elevated from his position as interim champion to full champion. The WBO then ordered Bentley to face mandatory challenger Yoenli Hernandez (11-0, 9 KOs), the number-one ranked contender. After failing to reach an agreement, the WBO held a purse bid on September 29, The only bidder, the modest Warriors Boxing promoter, won with a $200,000 proposal.

Instead, Bentley signed a multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing on October 5. It’s now unclear whether Bentley will be allowed to defend the title against Mosley. Bentley has petitioned the WBO not to strip him of the belt. Stay tuned.

Hernandez is an accomplished amateur for the Cuban National Team until leaving to turn pro in the United States. He holds the WBO-NABO (North American) regional title after winning a fourth-round TKO over Terrell Gausha in March. Hernandez is signed by Premier Boxing Champions.

Mielnicki Jr. defeated Austin “Ammo” Williams of Florida (20-3, 13 KOs) by decision in his Zuffa Boxing debut on September 4, and now holds the WBO Global regional title.

Plenty of boxing fans were outraged when Carlos Adames could only get a draw against Hamzah Sheeraz. Photo: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing

The former WBO World Middleweight champion, Hamzah Sheeraz, dropped his title when he decided to move up to the super middleweight division after fighting Adames to a draw in February 22. Most observers believed Adames deserved the win.

The fight took place in Saudi Arabia on the Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 undercard. Whether the judges were encouraged to give Sheeraz the benefit of the doubt on friendly turf remains speculation. Sheeraz is also now signed to Zuffa Boxing.

Zuffa Boxing has made no secret of its ambition to eventually become the single boxing promoter controlling all matchups, following the successful model of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in mixed martial arts.

The middleweight division presented a golden opportunity. After former undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez and former unified champion Gennadiy Golovkin exited the division, it was thin on talent.

Its former unified champion, Janibek Alimkhanuly of Kazakhstan, never caught fire with the public like his countryman, Triple G. He then failed a drug test in December 2025. The International Boxing Federation (IBF) stripped Alimkhanuly of his title, and the WBO suspended him. He is now returning to competition and has moved up to the super middleweight division.

Also in the division is former champion Erislandy Lara, age 43; Australian Tim Tszyu moving up from super welterweight; and veterans like Chris Eubank Jr. and Michael Zerafa.

The division’s future looks promising, with Jesus Ramos Jr. of Arizona, age 25; Amari Jones of Las Vegas, age 24; and Jahi Tucker of New York, age 24. Toss in Vito Mielnicki Jr., newly signed with Matchroom Boxing and coming off a strong performance in June.

But the division is a far cry from its glory days, when the iconic Marvin Hagler ruled, followed by Bernard Hopkins, and looking back to Carlos Monzón, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Jake LaMotta.

Call it ripe for the picking today with the Zuffa Boxing experiment in progress.