Callum Walsh has been heavily endorsed by Dana White and the UFC in recent years as he continues his boxing journey.
Although White is entering the boxing space as he was named as the promoter for Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford, he has backed the Irish fighter for a number of years.
The UFC president was in attendance for ‘King’s’ homecoming bout in Dublin, Ireland, in September 2024, as Walsh defeated Przemyslaw Runowski.
Competing on June 21st, Walsh was able to extend his unbeaten streak to 14-0. However, it did not come in ideal circumstances for the fighter.
Callum Walsh defeated Elias Espadas via technical decision due to headbutt clash
On Saturday night, Walsh was the headline fighter as he took on Elias Espadas (23-6-1) in California. However, the Irishman was not able to add a 12th knockout to his resume.
Despite an impressive opening half to the fight from Walsh, a collision of heads between the fighters would result in a significant cut on the eyebrow of the unbeaten fighter.
As the doctor intervened, the fight was brought to a halt as Walsh was deemed unfit to continue.
Five rounds of the bout had been completed, meaning the fight went to a technical decision. All three judges scored the contest 50-46 in favor of the Irishman.
It was just the third time Walsh was not able to stop his opponent. The technical decision win also snapped the 24-year-old’s four-fight knockout streak.
Callum Walsh makes desires known to compete on Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford card
Walsh described his performance as ‘disappointing’ in his post-fight press conference due to the nature of the stoppage. However, this did not stop Walsh from making a callout to compete on the Alvarez vs Crawford fight card.
Speaking to the crowd after the result, Walsh said, “Fernando Vargas, if you want this belt, come get it, kid. Dana White is promoting the Canelo-Crawford [fight], let’s do it. You keep calling my name. You want this [belt]? Come get it.”
Vargas Jr. currently has a professional record of 17-0, with his last win coming on May 17th via knockout.