Riyadh Season Boxing: Adames Wins at Zuffa Boxing 13

Riyadh Season boxing delivered a busy night at Zuffa Boxing 13, with Carlos Adames beating Gerome Warburton on points in Riyadh. For gym-goers, the main event also showed why boxing conditioning is about more than punching hard. Footwork, timing, body shots and repeat efforts all shaped the fight.

According to Boxing Insider, Zuffa Boxing 13 took place on Saturday 14 November 2026 at The Venue in Riyadh as part of Riyadh Season. The card gave Saudi boxing fans an international main event, a notable middleweight upset on the undercard, and two home debut wins. That mix matters. Riyadh Season has become a regular host of major international boxing, bringing world-level fighters to Saudi Arabia, according to aawsat.com and Boxing Insider.

In this article

1. Adames wins a non-title main event
2. Saudi debut wins add the local hook
3. What is Riyadh Season boxing?
4. What gym-goers can learn from the fight

Adames wins a non-title main event

According to aawsat.com, Carlos Adames of the Dominican Republic beat Gerome Warburton of Wales by unanimous decision over 10 rounds, with scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92. UFC.com also corroborated the official result and scorecards for the Riyadh main event. It was a clear points win, but it was not a new championship crowning.

Boxing Insider reported that the bout was contested at a 165-pound catchweight and was not for Adames' WBC middleweight title. The same report said Adames improved his record to 26-1-1 with 18 knockouts, while Warburton fell to 18-3-2. That detail is important because the fight was a high-profile Riyadh Season boxing match, not a title defence.

The styles made the result easier to understand. Boxing Insider described Warburton as a Welsh southpaw who spent much of the night moving on the outside, while Adames worked to the body and landed heavier shots when he closed the distance. aawsat.com also reported that Adames imposed his dominance in the second half of the bout.

Saudi debut wins add the local hook

The strongest Saudi angle came before the main event. According to aawsat.com, two Saudi boxers won on their debuts on the card: Ryan Awaji and Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, each beating a Ugandan opponent. For a sport building its base, those wins matter because local fighters shared the stage with an international headline bout.

There was another notable result on the undercard. Boxing Insider reported that Alexander Castro upset Radzhab Butaev by majority decision in a 10-round middleweight bout. Two judges scored it 97-93 and 96-94, while the third had it even at 95-95. It was the kind of result that makes a full fight card feel competitive, rather than only a showcase for the main event.

What is Riyadh Season boxing?

Riyadh Season boxing refers to major boxing events staged as part of Riyadh Season, which has become a regular host of international boxing and has brought world-level fighters to Saudi Arabia. For fans, that means elite combat sport is becoming more visible in the Kingdom. For people who train, it is a reminder that boxing fitness can be built in a normal gym setting without pretending to be a professional fighter.

What gym-goers can learn from the fight

A boxing match is not a gym programme, but it does show useful training themes. Adames' win came from pressure, body work and the ability to keep closing distance across 10 rounds. Warburton's movement showed the value of footwork and balance. Those are practical qualities that can fit general conditioning.

• Footwork drills: practise small steps, pivots and stance control so movement stays balanced rather than rushed.
• Bag and pad work: use short rounds to work on rhythm, straight punches and body-shot mechanics with control.
• Conditioning rounds: train in timed efforts that mix movement, punches and active recovery.
• Core training: include anti-rotation work, carries and controlled twists to support punching and posture.

The lesson is simple. Boxing fitness is demanding because it joins skill and stamina. A hard round on the bag feels different from a steady run because the body has to produce force, reset, move and breathe at the same time. That is why many gym-goers enjoy it as general conditioning, even if they never plan to spar.

If Riyadh Season boxing has made you want to train with more purpose, keep the goal simple: move better, breathe better and build consistency. Fill in the enquiry form.

Sources:
aawsat.com
boxinginsider.com
ufc.com

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.