Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams can still look forward to a fight this weekend, even if against a lower profile opponent.
BoxingScene.com has confirmed that the American contender will now face Armel Mbumba-Yassa in a scheduled ten-round bout between unbeaten middleweights. Their fight will serve in supporting capacity to the Conor Benn-Peter Dobson DAZN headliner this Saturday from Chelsea Ballroom at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Williams was previously due to face Northern Ireland’s Connor Coyle (20-0, 9KOs), who was forced to withdraw after he suffered a torn tendon in his right elbow. The originally scheduled matchup was appealing given that both Williams and Coyle are both ranked by the WBA in the top five at middleweight.
Mbumba-Yassa (10-0, 7KOs) will fight outside of Europe for the first time in his five-year pro career.
The 28-year-old Congo-born, Germany-based middleweight won a pair of six-round decisions in 2023, both which took place in his current hometown of Leverkusen, Germany. He takes a considerable leap in competition here, as he enters just his second scheduled ten-round bout. It will mark his first to not take place in Germany or Macedonia.
Williams (15-0, 10KOs) also fought just twice in 2023, though versus solid opposition. Oddly, the 27-year-old Houston-based southpaw entered last year expecting to face England’s Felix Cash, who bailed on the fight and has yet to revisit such plans after a previously contentious rivalry.
An effort to remain active saw Williams—who went 4-0 in a Prospect of the Year-worthy 2022 campaign—instead face River Wilson-Bent, whom he dropped and stopped inside of eight rounds last April 1 in London. Williams returned stateside for his most recent victory, a ten-round decision over Toronto’s Steve Rolls. Their middleweight bout took place last September 23 in Orlando, Florida.
With a win on Saturday, Williams is expected to be steered in the direction of an eventual bid for a major title. He is ranked in the top six by the WBC, WBA and IBF at middleweight.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. X (formerly Twitter): @JakeNDaBox