Carlos Adames has been elevated to #1 in The Ring Magazine’s updated middleweight rankings.
It’s not the ideal way for the unbeaten WBC 160-lb champion Adames to be upgraded to the top spot. He’s not going to turn it down.
Adames Elevated to No. 1
The previous #1, Janibek Alimkhnuly, was removed due to his positive test for a banned substance last month in a VADA test on November 15, 2025.
The Ring’s new updated list has some good and some bad. The first two spots are positive, as they make the most sense.
- Carlos Adames
- Yoenli Hernandez
- Erislandy Lara
- Conor Benn
- Troy Isley
- Etinosa Oliha
- Aaron McKenna
- Austin Williams
- Chris Eubank Jr.
- Jesus Ramos Jr.
Adames looked like pure gold in his last fight against Hamzah Sheeraz this year on February 22, battling to a controversial 12-round draw. I had it for Adames 10-2. A rematch between them would have been the right thing for Sheeraz’s promoters at Queensberry to do, given that so many fans felt he lost the fight.
The 28-year-old Cuba-born Yoenli Hernandez is on the rise and is seen as a future world champion by many. What he needs are the fights that will get him to the top spot, as he’s still only fought one notable opponent, Kyrone Davis, during his three-year pro career. That’s what’s holding him back.
The Odd Fit: Conor Benn at No. 4
Conor Benn at #4 stands out as the albatross of this list because he’s already said he’s moving down to welterweight. Moreover, he only has one win at 160 against 36-year-old Chris Eubank Jr. from last November.
Benn’s victory was aided by a 10-lb rehydration clause in addition to Eubank Jr. coming down from the 168-lb division. For Conor to earn a top-four spot, he should have faced a true middleweight without a weight handicap. Fighting Yoenili Hernandez would be the best way for Benn to earn his rankings instead of getting it from beating a non-middleweight.