WBC Middleweight Champion Carlos Adames Signs With Zuffa Boxing

WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames has officially signed a multi-fight promotional contract with Zuffa Boxing. Adames, who is 25-1-1 with 18 knockouts, is from Elias Pina, Dominican Republic.

Adames said in a release published to the UFC’s official site that he hopes the signing will open doors for him in the future. “This is a new chapter in my career, and I’m here to make history,” Adames said. He says he is moving up to the super middleweight division, but his deal with Zuffa presents opportunities for him at 160lbs.

Zuffa Boxing was founded in September 2024 by UFC CEO Dana White and Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority Chairman Turki Alalshikh. The promotion now has three of four current world middleweight champions on its roster. Those champions include WBO champion Denzel Bentley and IBF champion Aaron McKenna, alongside Adames.

Adames won the WBC interim middleweight title by knocking out Juan Macías Montiel in October 2022. He then defended that interim belt with a ninth-round stoppage of Julian Williams in June 2023.

Adames was elevated to full WBC middleweight champion in May 2024 after Jermall Charlo was designated champion in recess. He made his first defense of the full WBC middleweight belt with a unanimous decision over Terrell Gausha in June 2024.

In February 2025, Adames fought future world champ Hamzah Sheeraz to a split draw. The bout took place on the undercard of the Artur Beterbiev-Dmitrii Bivol light heavyweight rematch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Adames successfully defended his title with a unanimous decision over Austin Williams in March 2026. “Zuffa Boxing is building something special, and I want to be part of it,” Adames said. “The best of ‘Caballo Bronco’ is yet to come,” he added. WBC interim middleweight champion Jesus Ramos Jnr is reportedly targeting a showdown with Adames.

What are your thoughts on Carlos Adames’ signing with Zuffa Boxing and the reported target of Jesus Ramos Jnr?