The fight sat on the undercard of Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson and came together less than a day before the opening bell after Carlos Adames was pulled from the card following hospitalization during his weight cut.
Toussaint stepped in on extremely short notice, moved up in weight and had no realistic time to prepare for a pressure fighter like Williams. This was important because from the opening rounds the battle was more competitive than expected.
The first three rounds were scrappy and relatively even. Williams pushed forward but struggled to establish clean separation early on, while Toussaint remained calm, firing counters and doing enough not to get run over. Williams began to take control in the fourth round when a sharp lead dropped Toussaint, briefly changing the tone of the fight.
From that point on, Williams dictated the action. He worked behind his jab, went to the body and spent long stretches cutting off the ring. Toussaint absorbed punishment, especially in the fifth round when he was pinned along the ropes, but he never stopped competing. After the knockdown, his approach shifted to survival and discipline, staying upright and avoiding lengthy exchanges.
Williams clearly won most of the remaining rounds. What never arrived was the finish. Against a short-notice opponent fighting above his natural weight, Williams was unable to force a stoppage or completely break down Toussaint. The judges reflected his control on the cards, scoring it 98-91, 99-90 and 99-90.
For Toussaint, the distance earned respect under those circumstances. For Williams, now 20-1, the result keeps him moving forward on paper, but leaves room for doubt in practice. It was meant to be a showcase after a canceled title event. Instead, it was a workmanlike victory that raised familiar concerns about his ability to impose himself against fighters who refuse to fold.
At this level, winning wide isn’t the same as convincing, and Williams will need more than control the next time the stakes are real.
