This paper proposes an adaptive maximum-likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE) by means of combined equalization and decoding, i.e., adaptive combined MLSE, which employs separate channel estimation for respective states in the Viterbi algorithm. First, an approximate metric including channel estimation is derived analytically for this proposed adaptive combined MLSE. Secondly, procedures to accomplish blind equalization are investigated for the proposed MLSE. Finally, its excellent BER performance on fast time-varying fading channels is confirmed by computer simulation, when the proposed MLSE operates as a blind equalizer.