LAS VEGAS — Super middleweight boxer Callum Walsh was a near ever-present through International Fight Week — a combat sports festival the UFC organized last week.
Though 360 Promotions boss Tom Loeffler represents Walsh, UFC president Dana White has long taken a shine to the 23-year-old who cross-trains MMA while competing in boxing.
“Callum Walsh has been a fun project for me,” White told World Boxing News and other reporters after UFC 303 had finished Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Born in Cork, Walsh has lived and trained in Los Angeles in recent years and is a regular fixture at the Wildcard Boxing Club in Hollywood. “Freddie Roach really believes in him,” White told us.
Walsh has a burgeoning pro boxing record of 11 wins (9 KOs) and remains unbeaten. So far this year, he’s defeated Dauren Yeleussinov and Carlos Ortiz, and White has seen both of his fights.
It is unclear, as of yet, when Walsh will return to the ring, but it’s likely he’ll soon compete in Ireland.
“We’re going to do a fight with him in Ireland. We’re going to do a big fight [for a title] — I don’t know what the title is,” said White.
He continued: “Tom Loeffler is his promoter. I’m doing this for fun because I like the kid, and I like boxing. I’m having fun helping him build a career.”
One possible fight in Walsh’s future could headline the big room at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Loeffler told World Boxing News last year about how he’s got his eye on Xander Zayas, as it could potentially be the next installment in the hot Puerto Rican vs Ireland rivalry in the city.
World Boxing News has even spoken to Top Rank officials, who all seemed interested in making the fight a reality when the time is right.
But it begs the question as to whether White would work with Top Rank, considering the animosity that appears to exist between himself and the company founder, Bob Arum.
“Can you imagine trying to work with Bob Arum? You know what I mean?” White said.
Arum has, in the past, referred to the sport of MMA as “trash.” However, it appears White’s frustrations with his promotional rival are more recent, as he said White should be “ashamed” for trying to bring live sports back so early in the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent shuttering of leagues and fights.
“Look at all the s*** this guy said, even through Covid. ‘Dana White is a guy with flawed intelligence.’ You’re a real genius, buddy.
“You basically had him and Don King, who ran the sport for all those years, and what did he do? Where’s he at now? What’s his company worth? Yeah, me and Bob probably wouldn’t work together,” he finished, with a wry smile.
Though his final comments appeared to shut down the possibility, he did tell us earlier in his rant that, though he wouldn’t want to work with Arum, he “could try and figure it out” if “it was good for Callum.”
Alan Dawson is World Boxing News Lead Writer, a 2 x Sports Journalist of the Year finalist, and 5 x BWAA awards winner. Follow Alan @AlanDawsonSport.
