Carlos Adames has withdrawn from his planned WBC middleweight title defense against Austin “Ammo” Williams, removing one of the few active championship fights left at the top of the division.
The withdrawal was first reported by The Ring’s Keith Idec. Adames cited illness as the reason for pulling out of the bout. No replacement opponent has been announced, and the WBC has not said when or how the title situation will be addressed next.
The decision also alters the shape of The Ring 6 card on Saturday, which is scheduled to be shown on DAZN pay per view. Adames vs. Williams was one of the event’s few confirmed title fights, and its removal leaves a clear opening on a lineup built around the Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson main event.
For Adames, the withdrawal interrupts a run that was already unsettled. His most recent outing, a draw with Hamzah Sheeraz last October, left the championship picture unresolved and stalled any immediate path toward a unification fight. This bout was meant to put the belt back in motion. Instead, it becomes another delay.
Williams remains without the opportunity he had been preparing for. The fight would have been his first challenge for a full world title and a chance to establish himself at that level. That chance is gone without a bell being rung.
The middleweight division has spent much of the past year cycling through delays rather than fights. Mandatory obligations have been slow to take shape, ordered bouts have struggled to reach the ring, and the top of the division has remained static. Adames’ withdrawal adds to that record, regardless of the reason.
The card will go ahead. The title will stay with its holder. What is missing, again, are the rounds that would have forced the division to move.
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Last Updated on 01/30/2026
