Carlos Adames returns to the ring this Saturday in Riyadh to face Wales’ Gerome Warburton in a non-title bout at a 165lb catchweight. The WBC middleweight world champion is using the fight as a tune-up ahead of more significant title defenses planned for 2027. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Mix from 4pm.
Adames remains undefeated at middleweight and has collected wins over notable fighters including Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Julian Williams, Terrell Gausha, and Austin Williams. His only blemish in the division came in a draw against Hamzah Sheeraz. Warburton, a former Welsh champion, has not yet competed at this level but sees this fight as a chance to break into the upper echelon of the middleweight division. He enters the bout on the back of consecutive wins over Nathan Heaney, a former British champion who once defeated Denzel Bentley.
Bentley, a London-based fighter who held the WBO middleweight title before being stripped, is watching the Adames-Warburton fight closely. He recently defeated Shane Mosley Jr and is aiming to return to world championship contention in 2027. Bentley has set his sights on potential fights against Adames and IBF titlist Aaron McKenna, who, like Adames, are part of the Zuffa Boxing stable.
“Early next year, I’m ready to go again,” Bentley told Sky Sports. “I’d love another world title shot. McKenna or Adames, seeing as those are the two middleweights who are at this [Zuffa Boxing] stable with us and they are world champions. Those two are my priority.”
Bentley expects Adames to come through his bout with Warburton and remain on course for a title defense next year. “Congrats to Warburton for getting such a massive fight. I know it’s not for the title but he’s fighting a champion,” Bentley said. “I expect Adames to come through that. Warburton’s a good boxer, a nice slick boxer but doesn’t carry the power to give Adames any respect or stop him in his tracks.”
He added that Adames will likely control the fight from the start. “Adames is going to walk him down and probably get him out of there. I’d rather see Warburton go the distance. He’s done well in his career. But he added: ‘Adames gets him out of there, pretty early if I’m being honest.’”
Bentley revealed he is prepared to wait until after the summer of 2027 for a title shot against Adames, provided the champion is healthy and the fight is guaranteed. “If he’s well enough to go into his mandatory early next year, we can fight maybe summer, a little bit after the summer,” Bentley said. “I’ll be happy to wait till after the summer, if it’s guaranteed [to be] Adames. If it’s not, then I’d like to get out early next year. But if it could be him I’d be happy to wait for that.”
Warburton’s challenge on Saturday offers an opportunity to face a reigning world champion, though the odds favour Adames, who will look to maintain his unbeaten run at middleweight. The fight will be available to watch live on Sky Sports Mix from 4pm this Saturday.
According to Sky Sports.
