Carlos Adames and Gerome Warburton faced off in a live 10-round non-title super middleweight fight Saturday at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, headlining the Zuffa Boxing 13 event. The bout marked Adames’ debut at super middleweight for Zuffa Boxing and a significant step up for Warburton, moving to the world stage after a recent string of wins.
Adames entered the ring with a record of 25-1-1, including 18 knockouts. He captured the WBC interim middleweight title with a third-round knockout of Juan Macias Montiel in 2022 and was promoted to full champion in 2024. Since then, he defended the title successfully three times. His most recent notable outing was a dominant unanimous decision victory over Austin "Ammo" Williams in March after a controversial split draw against Hamzah Sheeraz in February 2025.
Warburton came into the fight with an 18-2-2 record, holding four knockouts. While he suffered a stoppage loss to Kieron Conway in a British and Commonwealth middleweight title fight, Warburton rebounded with three consecutive wins. Two of those were against Nathan Heaney in 2026, a fighter who retired following their second meeting.
The event’s undercard included bouts across multiple weight classes such as heavyweight, middleweight, lightweight, and light heavyweight, with fighters like Jakhongir Zokirov, Radzhab Butaev, and Ivan Ortiz. The prelims started at 8 a.m. ET, and the main card, including the Adames-Warburton clash, began at noon ET on Paramount+.
Adames and Warburton’s fight drew attention as a non-title matchup at super middleweight, contrasting Adames’ championship experience with Warburton’s rise. The Dominican champion looked to make a statement in his new weight class, while Warburton sought to prove himself on a global platform.
The crowd at The Venue saw the fighters’ ring walks around 2 p.m. ET, setting the stage for a competitive night of boxing. The fight’s round-by-round action, highlights, and results were covered live by Uncrowned, providing real-time updates.
Warburton’s move to the world stage represents a major opportunity after securing victories that ended with a notable opponent’s retirement. Meanwhile, Adames aimed to extend his winning streak and establish himself among the super middleweight ranks.
Other main card bouts included Jason Moloney against Andres Teran and Bruno Surace vs. Kamil Bednarek, adding depth to the event’s schedule.
The fight’s outcome and detailed analysis were available via Uncrowned’s coverage as the Zuffa Boxing 13 event unfolded in Riyadh, showcasing rising talent and established fighters in a growing boxing scene.
According to Yahoo Sports.
