Boxers crossing over into the world of MMA is as rare as hen’s teeth. Given that they’d have to master a whole new skill set—wrestling, grappling, and kicks—it’s no surprise most stick to what they know best. But Callum Walsh isn’t just any boxer.
The Dana White-backed Irish sensation recently hinted at a potential move to the UFC once his boxing career is done, and fans are already buzzing with excitement. With White in his corner and an undefeated boxing record, Walsh’s transition to MMA could be one of the most intriguing crossovers in combat sports.
Callum Walsh is one of the fastest-rising stars in boxing right now, and he’s got some serious backing from big names in combat sports. One of his biggest supporters? None other than UFC CEO Dana White. The two connected through veteran boxing promoter Tom Loeffler, and since then, White has been all-in on hyping up the 24-year-old Irishman.
Over the years, White has shown Walsh a ton of love—giving him spots on UFC Fight Pass, constantly praising him on social media, and making sure people know just how legit he is. Naturally, fans have been wondering what makes Walsh stand out to the UFC boss.
In a recent interview, Walsh explained it simply: it’s his mentality. “The best fight the best,” he said, adding that he doesn’t take easy routes like some boxers do. That attitude is exactly why White is so excited about him—and why fans should be too.
While White’s support for Walsh has been in the squared circle so far, the 24-year-old stated that he would love to enter the octagon at some point.
During a conversation with Inside Fighting, he said, “Yeah I do, we mess around. I had hand surgery a few months ago so I was out for a while from punching. So while I was recovering I was messing around doing a bit of Jiu-Jitsu and stuff like that. It was cool and I enjoyed it. I am a massive UFC fan. I’ve said this before, it is something on my bucket list. I would love to fight even if it is just one fight in the UFC.”
Thankfully for Walsh, his relationship with Dana White means that if he were to seriously consider getting into the octagon, it would be pretty easy to get a deal done for him. However, with White’s recent announcement of entering the sport of boxing, we may see White being a lot more involved in Walsh’s boxing career as well.
Build from the ground up: Dana White’s vision for a boxing takeover
Dana White and WWE president Nick Khan are on a mission to shake up boxing in a big way. Their parent company, TKO Group Holdings, just launched a brand-new boxing promotion, and they’re not interested in doing things the old way. Instead, they want to completely rebuild the sport “from the ground up.”
“You have to break the sport down and build it from the ground up,” White told Front Office Sports. “Everybody involved here realizes that you can’t keep going on the same model that boxing has been on.”
White has hinted at stepping into boxing for years, but now it’s official. This new venture, backed by Saudi Arabia-based partners, will compete directly with boxing powerhouses like Top Rank. But White isn’t worried about them—he’s focused on making this work. “Blinders on,” he said about his approach.
One major change? Fighters will be under contract, just like in the UFC and WWE, ensuring more regular fights. “Boxing has been great maybe once every five years,” Khan said. “The greatness of UFC is that it’s great at least once every four weeks.”
For now, they’re putting in “sweat equity” and working on a media-rights deal—TV networks, streamers, and even non-traditional platforms are all in play.
