Carlos Adames Dominates Gerome Warburton as Jason Moloney Wins at Zuffa Boxing 13

Carlos Adames got the win he was expected to get in Riyadh, but anyone hoping for fireworks in the main event of Zuffa Boxing 13 was left disappointed.

The WBC middleweight champion comfortably outpointed Gerome Warburton over ten rounds, with the Welshman spending much of the fight trying to stay out of trouble rather than taking the risks needed to win.

Jason Moloney had a more entertaining evening against Andres Teran, Bruno Surace handed Kamil Bednarek his first professional defeat, and Alexander Castro produced one of the more eye-catching results by beating former world champion Radzhab Butaev.

There were also some quick finishes on the undercard, including a first-round knockout from Rakhmatullo Boymatov.

The November 14 event at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was promoted by Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, with Charles Bosecker serving as matchmaker.

Main Event: Carlos Adames Outclasses Gerome Warburton

Carlos Adames (26-1-1) cruised to a unanimous decision victory over Gerome Warburton (18-3-2) after ten rounds, winning by scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92.

It was a convincing result, but hardly a fight that will have people rushing to watch the replay.

Warburton had earned his opportunity with two victories over Nathan Heaney, but the step up in opposition was obvious almost immediately. The Welsh southpaw spent much of the contest moving backwards, keeping his distance and offering precious little offensively.

Adames wasn’t exactly setting a frantic pace himself during the opening rounds. He followed Warburton around the ring, looking for openings while his opponent concentrated on avoiding exchanges.

Things picked up slightly as Adames increased the pressure. By the fifth round, he was finding more success with his right hand and body punches, forcing Warburton towards the ropes and making him work harder to escape.

But the fight never really caught fire.

Warburton deserves some credit for surviving ten rounds against an established world champion, although there’s a difference between surviving and competing. He simply didn’t throw enough punches to give himself a realistic chance of winning.

Adames was clearly frustrated afterwards, suggesting that Warburton had been more interested in lasting the distance than trying to beat him.

It’s difficult to argue with that assessment. Adames was never seriously threatened, and the judges’ scorecards reflected just how one-sided the contest had been.

The Dominican improves to 26-1-1, while Warburton drops to 18-3-2.

With the contest taking place at a 165-pound catchweight, Adames’ WBC middleweight title was not on the line.

He handled business, but this was a fairly forgettable main event. The champion needs a bigger challenge next time.

Co-Main Event: Jason Moloney Beats Andres Teran Over Ten Rounds

Former bantamweight world champion Jason Moloney (30-4-0) secured a unanimous decision victory over Mexico’s Andres Teran (19-3-0), taking all three scorecards after ten rounds.

The judges scored the contest 98-92, 97-93 and 99-91 in favour of the Australian.

Moloney had to work for this one. Teran, who entered the contest following an impressive stoppage victory over Floyd Diaz, came forward looking to apply pressure and force exchanges.

The Australian responded with sharp combinations, regularly stepping in with his left hook and right hand before moving away from danger.

Teran wasn’t discouraged and managed to land some solid counters of his own, but Moloney’s cleaner punching and movement gradually made the difference.

Even when he began to tire around the halfway stage, Moloney continued finding success with his jab and well-timed hooks.

By the ninth round, the former champion was landing some of his best punches, catching Teran with a clean right hand and following up with further combinations.

Moloney controlled the closing stages to complete a deserved points victory.

That’s three consecutive wins for the Australian, who continues working his way back towards another opportunity at world level.

Bruno Surace Hands Kamil Bednarek First Defeat

French super middleweight Bruno Surace (27-1-2) added another victory to his record, outpointing previously unbeaten Kamil Bednarek (17-1-0) by unanimous decision over ten rounds.

The judges returned scores of 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94 for Surace.

Bednarek entered the contest with a perfect 17-0 record, but Surace’s experience proved enough to take the decision and end the Pole’s unbeaten run.

Surace, who famously knocked out Jaime Munguia in 2024, continues rebuilding following his points defeat in their rematch.

Another useful victory for the Frenchman, and a reminder that he’s a difficult opponent for anyone trying to climb the super middleweight rankings.

Undercard Results

Alexander Castro Upsets Radzhab Butaev

Colombia’s Alexander Castro (16-2-0) claimed a notable scalp with a majority decision victory over former world champion Radzhab Butaev (16-3-0) after ten rounds at middleweight.

Two judges favoured Castro by scores of 97-93 and 96-94, while the third scored it 95-95.

A bit of an upset considering Butaev’s experience, and easily one of the more significant results on the undercard. Castro will be delighted with that one.

Dariial Kuchmenov Edges Ivan Ortiz

Russia’s Dariial Kuchmenov (11-0-0) kept his unbeaten record intact with a split decision victory over Mexico’s Ivan Ortiz (13-1-2) after eight rounds at lightweight.

Kuchmenov scored a knockdown in the opening round, which proved important in a close contest.

The judges returned scores of 76-75 and 77-74 for Kuchmenov, with the third scoring it 76-75 for Ortiz.

A narrow win for Kuchmenov, who moves to 11-0, while Ortiz suffers his first professional defeat.

Rakhmatullo Boymatov Blasts Out Moro Inusah Kanla

Rakhmatullo Boymatov (2-0-0) wasted little time against Ghana’s Moro Inusah Kanla (10-2-0), scoring a first-round knockout in their light heavyweight contest.

The official stoppage came at 1:29 of round one.

Boymatov dropped Kanla twice before finishing the job. Two professional fights, two victories, and this one was over in a hurry.

Jakhongir Zokirov Forces Brandon Colantonio Retirement

Uzbek heavyweight Jakhongir Zokirov (3-0-0) picked up his third professional victory when Brandon Colantonio (8-3-0) retired after the opening round of their scheduled six-round contest.

Zokirov scored two knockdowns during the first three minutes, although he also had a point deducted for hitting Colantonio while he was down.

Colantonio did not continue after round one, giving Zokirov victory by retirement (RTD) at 3:00.

A messy opening round, but another early finish for the unbeaten heavyweight.

Rayan Awaji Wins Professional Debut

Rayan Awaji made a winning professional debut with a third-round technical knockout of Sudais Lubega (0-4-0) in their scheduled four-round welterweight contest.

The stoppage came at 2:15 of round three.

Awaji had been comfortably ahead on all three scorecards through two rounds, with each judge scoring the contest 20-16 before the finish.

A successful start to his professional career.

Abdullaziz Alotebi Outpoints Ezra Ssali

Another professional debutant, Abdullaziz Alotebi, opened his career with a unanimous decision victory over Ezra Ssali (5-1-1) after four rounds at featherweight.

Alotebi knocked Ssali down in the opening round and went on to win every round on all three judges’ scorecards.

The final scores were identical at 40-35, 40-35 and 40-35.

A convincing debut for Alotebi, who made an immediate impression with that early knockdown.

Final Thoughts

Carlos Adames was a class above Gerome Warburton, although the main event was hardly one to remember. The champion got his win without ever needing to move through the gears.

Jason Moloney’s victory over Andres Teran offered considerably more to enjoy, while Alexander Castro’s majority decision over Radzhab Butaev was arguably the most interesting result on the card.

And with several unbeaten fighters maintaining their records, Zuffa Boxing has a few more names to keep an eye on.

Adames, though, needs a proper world-level opponent next. Nobody wants another ten rounds of chasing someone around the ring.

Fight Highlight Stream