Last night Carlos Adames won a 12-round unanimous decision over Austin “Ammo” Williams of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, in the main event at Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida.

Adames, 24-1-1 (18 KOs) with the win, is one of two active beltholders in the middleweight division. The 31-year-old Dominican, who trains in Las Vegas, has steadily rebuilt himself after a 2019 loss to Patrick Teixeira for the interim WBO junior middleweight title. He has since moved up in weight and become a force, albeit still an underrated one.

BoxingScene looks at what could be the next fight for Adames. 

6. George Liddard

Record: 13-0 (8 KOs)

Chance of Happening: 10 percent

Level of Excitement: 4/10

Liddard won a 12-round unanimous decision over Tyler Denny on a British card that aired on DAZN earlier in the day. As reported on BoxingScene, Liddard is now hoping to face the winner of tonight’s WBC title bout: Adames. It feels like a big jump for Liddard to go into a title fight, however.

5. Amari Jones

Record: 16-0 (14 KOs)

Chance of Happening: 20 percent

Level of Excitement: 7/10

Unlikely. But Jones has been a bright spot for Golden Boy Promotions in the last year and a half. Since signing with the promotion, he has looked stellar and appeared to be a main event-level talent, producing more than one exciting performance. Jones has elements of other Golden Boy fighters who have elevated to become stars, like Ryan Garcia, Vergil Ortiz, and Floyd Schofield. It might not be realistic, but Jones has been an A+ fighter in the position he has fought in.

4. Aaron McKenna

Record: 20-0 (10 KOs)

Chance of Happening: 30 percent

Level of Excitement: 8/10

McKenna has looked the part of a contender, especially when beating Liam Smith. McKenna is one of the new faces of middleweight, and for the division to reinvent itself, young guys need chances. McKenna is firmly a top-10 guy in the division and would be a great candidate if Adames were to fight in Europe. 

3. Troy Isley

Record: 15-0 (5 KOs)

Chance of Happening: 50 percent

Level of Excitement: 6/10

Isley is an undefeated 2020 U.S. Olympian who has steadily gotten better as a pro. He is now at the point of fighting for a title, and a bout against Adames would be a good test for both. For Adames, could he fend off a young challenger? And, for Isley, can he make the leap to become a titleholder? 

2. Yoenli Hernandez

Record: 9-0 (8 KOs)

Chance of Happening: 60 percent

Level of Excitement: 8/10

Hernandez, a top-rated Cuban middleweight, has looked dominant up to this point. He fights next week against 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Guasha. If he were to win, Hernandez would become one of the more exciting fighters to be in the mix to face Adames. If for nothing else, then Hernandez has looked sensational up until this point, and has yet to be tested in a pro fight. 

1. Jesus Ramos Jnr

Record: 24-1 (19 KOs)

Chance of Happening: 70 percent

Level of Excitement: 7/10

The bout would serve as a consolidation of the WBC titles. Adames holds the outright title, while Ramos has possession of the interim title. Ramos is an up-and-comer who has yet to fully break through as a main eventer, despite exceptional talent. The bout could determine the best middleweight titleholder at the moment, as the 40-plus-year-old Erislandy Lara didn’t look stellar in his last outing, and Janibek is currently inactive after failing a pre-fight drug test.