The one-sided victory marked Adames’ debut under the Zuffa Boxing banner after signing with the promotional company in early October. Adames versus Warburton headlined Zuffa Boxing 13 at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,

Judge Nawaf Alomohaimeed (100-90) had it a shutout for Adames. Przzemyslaw Mouszumanski (99-91) and Krzyztof Piotr Bubak (98-92) somehow found rounds to score for Warburton.

A significant bout could lie ahead for Adames (26-1-1, 18 KOs), the WBC middleweight champion, and The Ring’s No. 1-rated contender for its vacant title at 160 pounds, though having to face his mandatory challenger could interfere with that. The WBC has ordered the Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, native to face Meiirim Nursultanov (20-0, 11 KOs) next.

IBF champion Aaron McKenna (21-0, 10 KOs), The Ring’s No. 3-ranked middleweight, and Denzel Bentley (22-3-1, 18 KOs), a former WBO titleholder at 160 pounds, are also promoted by Zuffa Boxing, which should theoretically make a bout with Adames easy to put together.

Bentley won his Zuffa Boxing debut by unanimous decision against Shane Mosley Jr. on November 7. McKenna will defend his title against Jevgenijs Aleksejevs (20-0, 10 KOs) in the main event of Zuffa Boxing 14 on December 4.

Adames was the aggressor for the entirety of his fight with Warburton (18-3-2, 2 KOs) and did the overwhelming majority of his work to the body of Warburton. In the seventh round, Adames landed his best shots of the fight when he ripped hooks and uppercuts with both hands to the body of the southpaw from Colwyn Bay, Wales.

Warburton, 31, was content to just move and survive. He began the fight that way, never deviated from that plan and celebrated after the final bell rang despite not putting forth an effort to win in the biggest opportunity of his career.