A deal appears to be within reach for Carlos Adames’ next title defense.

BoxingScene has learned that an extension was granted by the WBC for Adames and his team to work out terms with mandatory challenger Meiirim Nursultanov. The ruling voided a purse bid hearing that was scheduled to take place Tuesday, as it is believed that talks for the middleweight title fight are headed in the right direction.

Adames, 24-1-1 (18 KOs), was previously ordered to next face Kazakhstan’s Nursultanov, 20-0 (11 KOs), per a ruling from last year’s WBC annual convention.

Adames – a Las Vegas-based Dominican who fights under the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) banner – was actually instructed to honor two consecutive mandatories. He has thus far completed half of the task.

Adames faced unbeaten Hamzah Sheeraz and was held to a controversial split decision draw on February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Many observers felt that Adames was cheated out of a win that evening.

Nevertheless, he retained the WBC middleweight title for the second time. 

Adames previously held the interim WBC title but was upgraded after the sanctioning body finally removed the status from a grossly inactive Jermall Charlo. His other defense as a full titlist came in a 12-round points win over Terrell Gausha last June in Las Vegas.

Nursultanov has not fought since November 2023, but the bout was well-placed, as it has preserved his place in line for a title shot.

A 31-year-old middleweight based in Oxnard, California, and managed by Egis Klimas, Nursultanov outpointed Julio Alamos on a card at the end of the 2023 WBC convention in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The win marked the first time that Nursultanov went the full 12-round distance after he previously had never fought past the 10th.  

While an agreement is not yet in place, the hope is for the fight to land in a summertime PBC event.

The bout was once considered for last December, at a time when Gervonta Davis, 30-0-1 (28 KOs), was due to defend his WBA lightweight title against Lamont Roach in Houston. Plans for the fight fell through, however, well before the Houston show was scrapped as a whole.

Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.