Roughly a year after he shocked everyone when, despite overwhelming odds favoring his rival, Carlos Adames forced Hamzah Sheeraz to a draw, the WBC middleweight champion from the Dominican Republic returns for yet another title defense. The final fight on the main card of the Teofimo versus Shakur Stevenson event pits him against rising contender Austin “Ammo” Williams.

With WBO and IBF champion Janibek Alimkhanuly involved in a doping controversy, a win over a powerful challenger like Williams potentially strengthens Adames’ case for title unification. However, Williams can spoil his game plan if Adames doesn’t play his cards well. At this stage, when the whole middleweight landscape is undergoing a churn, it’s important for Adames to secure clean victories. But Williams has his own axe to grind. Defeating a formidable adversary like Adames not only makes him a first-time champion but also bolsters his position as a top-tier fighter.

Carlos Adames vs. Austin Williams: Who has better stats and a record?

For a man who has been fighting for close to a decade, Adames has built a solid resume, having both quantity and depth. He has been defeated once, when former champion Patrick Teixeira beat him over the distance during the fight for the interim light middleweight title. With one fight against Sheeraz ending in a draw, Adames, who trains out of Las Vegas, has remained consistent with wins over fighters, including Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Terrell Gausha.

18 of Adames’ fights ended inside the distance, giving an impressive 75% strike rate. Williams, who turns 30 four days before Adames turns 32, made his professional debut six years ago. His 16-win streak finally came to an end when Hamzah Sheeraz knocked him out in the 11th round of the fight for the WBC Silver middleweight title.

Like the champion, the Wisconsin native has a proclivity toward early stoppages, with 68% of his 19 wins coming via knockouts.

Carlos Adames vs. Austin Williams: Height, weight, reach comparison, and more

Like the Sheeraz fight, this time too Adames is stepping into a bout where his opponent holds a height and reach advantage. With a height of 6 feet (183 centimeters), the American records a reach measuring 78 inches (198 centimeters). In comparison, at 5 feet and 11 inches (180 centimeters), Adames stands an inch shorter.

11 months ago, when he faced Sheeraz, the middleweight champion registered 158 pounds during the final weigh-ins. In comparison, Williams, who knocked out Ivan Vazquez on the Bam Rodriguez-Cafu card of July 19, tipped the scales at 159.6 pounds.

Carlos Adames vs. Austin Williams: Fight prediction and style breakdown

Despite his relative youth and competitive knockout rate, Williams steps in as the overwhelming underdog. To begin with, he faces the man who himself entered as an underdog against the man who knocked him out, only to turn the tables and squeeze out an admirable draw.

In spite of the odds he faced, Adames dragged the formidable Sheeraz, now a super middleweight contender, to a stalemate for which he received widespread praise. It clearly elevated his stock. An above-average strike rate lends additional leverage. Absence of recognizable names seems to work against Williams’ chances.

A “no brakes” fighter who presses forward, trying to overwhelm his opponents with volume punching, Adames can surprisingly switch stances. Walking behind the traditional high guard, the Dominican fighter can sneak inside and lunge with power shots or step back and counter-punch from a distance.

His opponent apparently follows the same script, only he fights from a southpaw stance. A high-pressure fighter who favors body shots, Florida-based Williams uses his signature straight left, followed by a straight rear or a hook and sharp uppercuts to break down opponents. Expect him to create angles to break Adames’ high guard.