Brandon Adams has moved into the No. 1 position in the WBO’s junior middleweight rankings, placing the veteran contender in line for a potential second world title opportunity at 154lbs.
Adam was already scheduled for a major assignment, set to face Caoimhin Agyarko in an IBF elimination bout on April 11 for the right to challenge newly crowned IBF champion Josh Kelly. His rise to No. 1 with the WBO now gives him a second possible path to a title shot, depending on how the belts and mandatories align in the coming months.
The ranking movement was triggered by Kelly’s recent success. Kelly had previously occupied the No. 1 spot in the WBO standings but was removed after challenging for the IBF title against Bakhram Murtazaliev on January 31. Adams, who had been ranked No. 2, moved up to fill the vacancy. The current WBO champion is Xander Zayas, who also holds the WBA belt following his unification victory over Abass Baraou on the same night.
This is undeniably a huge turnaround in Adams’ long career. A former Boxcino finalist at both middleweight and junior middleweight, Adams later found success by winning the fifth season of The Contender in 2018. That run earned him a WBC middleweight title shot against Jermall Charlo in 2019, a bout he lost on the scorecards.
Adams then rebuilt with meaningful wins including a stoppage of Serhii Bohachuk in 2024 and a clear points victory in their September 2025 rematch.
Image Credit: The Ring