Early career Adama turned professional in 2001, with a second-round knockout of Akeem Alarape in the Kaneshie Sports Complex in Accra, racking up seventeen wins in Ghana between 2001 and 2010. His first two bouts in the
United States in August 2009 and April 2010 were fought without proper training time at super middleweight and light heavyweight, and Adama lost two close decisions.
IBO and USBA titles Adama then moved from
North Miami, Florida to Chicago and signed with boxing manager
Wasfi Tolaymat of the Chicago Fight Club and train under
Joseph Awinongya. On December 17, 2010, at
UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Adama won his first title, the vacant
IBO international middleweight championship, the first middleweight titleholder ever from Ghana, by twelve round unanimous decision over contender
Angel Hernandez. Scoring for the bout was 120–108, 120–108, and 119–109, with Adama winning 35 of 36 rounds on the judges' scorecards. After knocking out Marcus Upshaw to win the vacant
USBA middleweight title and achieve the IBF's #1 middleweight contender rating. Adama lost a decision for the IBF World Middleweight title in
Tasmania in March 2012 against IBF World champion
Daniel Geale. After not fighting for over a year, Adama won a split decision over ten rounds over Grady Brewer in March 2013, and was ranked 16th in the world by BoxRec. Between 2010 and 2015, Adama was being trained by former Ghanaian Boxer
Joseph Awinongya.
Adama vs. Golovkin Adama then (22–3, 16 KO) earned a bout against
Gennady Golovkin for the WBA and IBO middleweight titles. Coming into the fight, Adama was ranked #12 by the WBA. The fight took place in
Monte Carlo at the
Salle des Etoiles on February 1, 2014. He lost by seventh round stoppage. At the end of the first round, Adama got dropped by Golovkin with a solid jab and right hand. Golovkin went on to drop Adama again in the sixth round by landing two sharp left hooks to his head, and then again in the seventh round with a hard jab. Golovkin then nailed Adama with a left hook to the jaw, sending Adama staggering and forcing the referee to stop the bout. At the time of stoppage, one judge had it 60–52 and the other two at 59–53 in favor of Golovkin. == Personal life ==