Cork boxer Callum Walsh closing in on world title fights with backing of UFC's Dana White
The 24-year-old is on a streak of four successive knockouts, the last three all coming in the first two rounds. His last fight, against Scotland's Dean Sutherland, was a first-round stoppage victory at Madison Square Garden in New York in March.
Walsh is ranked in the top 10 of the division by two of the sanctioning bodies and is currently one of the highest ranked Irish fighters in professional boxing.
Walsh has enjoyed the backing of UFC CEO Dana White, with his fights being broadcast on UFC Fight Pass, the company's streaming service.
READ MORE
White also travelled to Dublin for Walsh's bout at the 3Arena last year, when he knocked out Polish fighter Przemyslaw Runowski in the second round.
Walsh was the first boxer to be supported by the MMA promoter and White has since announced he will co-promote the blockbuster fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terrence Crawford alongside Saudi Arabian billionaire Turki al-Sheikh, who has invested heavily in the sport.
Walsh's opponent Espadas has won 23 contests, with six defeats and one draw. He has won 16 fights by knockout.
However, Espadas has only fought five times in the last four years, winning two, drawing one, and losing the other two by knockout.
The 34-year-old will be a heavy underdog in the contest, and Walsh will be hoping this fight is just another step towards a world title.
White is not the only high-profile member of Team Walsh, as he is trained by Freddie Roach of the Wild Card Boxing gym in Hollywood.
Roach has been living with Parkinson's disease for nearly 40 years and has said the hand-eye co-ordination involved in training fighters helps with his symptoms.
The 65-year-old has trained legendary fighters like James Toney, Oscar De La Hoya, and, most famously, Manny Pacquiao, the eight-weight world champion from the Philippines.
Pacquiao, now 46, recently returned to train alongside Walsh at the LA gym ahead of a comeback world title fight which is scheduled for July.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
11 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Management issue must be 'bottomed out'
Jason Sherlock feels the increase in demands of inter-county football management must be "bottomed out" in order for it to be addressed as the future of coaching in the sport continues to be debated. GAA president Jarlath Burns last year raised the possibility of contracts for managers given how much it has been stated that doing the role is not possible on an amateur basis over a long period of time. For the fourth year in succession, more than 10 managers have left their positions after the conclusion of their season. Many raise the issue of the demands of the role when reaching a decision to walk away. It is particularly relevant when it comes to counties outside of Division 1. Sherlock, speaking in a wide-ranging interview on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1 this afternoon, said he feels the time is nearing where the issue will be addressed: "I get why the GAA are looking at that. I always looked at Jim Gavin and then I was involved with Dessie Dolan with Westmeath for a couple of years and it's such a big commitment from a time perspective. You only have to look at the amount of vacancies there are with GAA managers now at the moment. "At the end of the day there's very little reward because a lot of these counties, with respect, are never going to be competitive at the highest level with the current structures that are there. "I can understand why we're looking at it and it probably does need to be bottomed out because I'm not sure how sustainable it is for people to have a working 9-5 role and be a manager of an inter-county football or hurling team." The introduction of new rules has undoubtedly added to the workload for managers, and while it may quell over time as players adjust, it's clear that players are seeking more from management teams in preparation for matches. That is unlikely to dip any time soon, even if the season is shorter under the split model of inter-county and then club. Sherlock believes that is telling: "I think the players have set the standards and they're constantly looking to improve and become better. "From a management perspective then you have to kind of respect that. "You have to be better and you have to give them the information, the feedback and the data that they look for. "That all takes time, so if that's the way the game is going, [the workload will remain or grow]. "Again you only have to look at the All-Ireland final as a spectacle. Whenever a game is played the right way, it is one of the best games in the world so I have no problem with players and managers wanting to be the best that they can be. "I suppose that has to be balanced in terms of our association and what's sustainable. "At the end of the day what I've always loved about GAA is that if you were willing to give the time and the effort, there was a place for you. "Unfortunately now players and coaches have to make that call on whether they can do this and balance everything else that's in their life." Sherlock has not ruled out a step back into inter-county coaching as he plots the next stage of his career, having had a successful period with his native Dublin and also with Westmeath. "I've always said I'm a student of sport," he explained. "I love sport, I really enjoy it and obviously I have a big draw to GAA. "I have my views and philosophies on that. It's great being involved in a GAA environment but the balance to that is it's a lot of time. It's a lot of sacrifice. It's a lot of commitment.
Irish Independent
40 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
‘We have a lot to take away with a young group and that's an exciting thing'
Ireland finished eighth and last after a 2-1 defeat against England, but avoided relegation with a revamped 2027 EuroHockey set to field more teams in London. Katie Mullan scored a superb chip either side of Tess Howard's deflected goal, off Sarah McAuley's stick, and Darcy Bourne caressing into an empty net to beat the advancing Holly Micklem, who had replaced the impressive Lizzie Murphy in goal for Ireland's final match. Ireland looked the better side in the first half before England were made to work for their win. It could have been a draw had time not run out on Caoimhe Perdue as she set for a shot with the last move of the match. 'You come away with a loss and you can feel down but 2-1 is close, we executed our gameplan and played a lot more hockey,' said McLoughlin. 'It's been an up and down tournament but we have a lot to take away with a young group and that's an exciting thing to come away from.' Ireland's next port of call will be competing in a first FIH Pro League, the start of a packed calendar over the next 12 months. This will also take in a World Cup qualifying event in late February. 'There is an awful lot on the table,' added McLoughlin, who will be one of nine players competing in the Belgian league next season. 'One of my messages at the end of the match was that we are going to be bitterly disappointed with this campaign, but we need to turn that into hunger to get better and be the team we know we can be.'
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Roscommon GAA appoint new football manager with just three vanancies to fill
Roscommon GAA have recommended Mark Dowd to succeed Davy Burke as their new senior football manager, meaning there are now just three inter-county senior football jobs to fill. The only current vacancies are in Westmeath, Waterford and Antrim following the recent appointments of Ger Brennan (Dublin), Dermot McCabe (Cavan) and Paul Madden (Clare). Dowd is one of six managers who will make their inter-county bow next year, including a joint manager ticket in Sligo. The other five are Dessie Sloyan/Eamonn O'Hara (Sligo), Gavin Devlin (Louth), Ciaran Meenagh (Derry) and Paul Madden (Clare). On top of this, Brennan and McCabe have moved back to their own native counties, while Andy Moran previously managed Leitrim for three seasons, meaning there will be seven entirely new management teams in place in 2026. Dowd is the man a committee appointed to find the new boss came up with and his name will now go before the Roscommon County Board for ratification. The current Roscommon Gaels boss is steeped in GAA in the county and has his fingerprints all over some of their biggest football successes over the past two decades. Strokestown native Dowd was part of Fergal O'Donnell's management team that led Roscommon to All-Ireland minor glory in 2006, defeating Kerry in a replay in the final. Dowd also guided Roscommon under-21 footballers to a Connacht Championship triumph in 2015, before losing out narrowly against Mayo in the provincial final a year later. He has twice been involved in Roscommon Senior Connacht Championship wins, being in the backrooms of Fergal O'Donnell (2010) and Anthony Cunningham (2019). At club level Dowd has an extensive CV, helping Mayo side Ballaghaderreen to a Senior Championship and a Connacht Final in 2012, where they lost out by nine points to Roscommon side St. Brigid's. On the Roscommon scene, Dowd was part of the Strokestown management that landed the 2022 county title, their first in 20 years and eleventh in total. Last year Dowd managed Roscommon Gaels to the County Final, where they lost to Pádraig Pearses and he's back for another shot at a county title this year. Amazingly, he is the first Roscommon native to take sole charge of the team since Des Newton in 2012. Since then Roscommon have been managed by Kerry man John Evans (2013-15) Mayo man Kevin McStay, who lives in Roscommon Town (2015-18, with the first year as joint manager with Fergal O'Donnell), Galway's Anthony Cunningham (2019-22) and Kildare's Davy Burke (2023-25). In fact, since Galway's John Tobin took over as Roscommon boss in 2001, they've had a whopping nine outside managers, also including Tommy Carr (Dublin), Val Daly (Galway) and John Maughan (Mayo) As things stand, in 2026 there will be eight outside managers, including Offaly joint boss Mickey Harte, with seven of them from Ulster. The odd one out is Mayo man Mike Solan, in charge of Longford. The other outside managers are Wicklow's Oisin McConville (Armagh), Laois' Justin McNulty (Armagh), Derry's Ciaran Meenagh (Tyrone), Tyrone's Malachy O'Rourke (Fermanagh), Leitrim's Steven Poacher (Down) and Louth's Gavin Devlin. Oisin McConville is the only outside boss currently in a job to have served three years - and he recently agreed a fresh two year term. Dowd has a big job on his hands with Roscommon's last Connacht title coming back in 2019. This year they exited the All-Ireland series in a preliminary quarter-final defeat by Cork, having made last year's quarter-finals where they lost out to eventual Sam Maguire winner Armagh by 2-10 to 0-10, after shocking Tyrone in the previous round. Roscommon GAA Chairperson Brian Carroll pointed to Dowd's wealth of experience as he unveiled the county's new man at the helm. 'We are delighted to welcome Mark Dowd as the incoming manager of the Roscommon senior football team,' said Carroll. 'Mark has an outstanding track record at both club and county level and he brings with him a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion for Roscommon football. 'We are confident that his leadership will help drive this team forward and build on the progress of recent years. 'I have had the pleasure of working with Mark on numerous occasions over the last 12 years and I know the Roscommon senior football team is in safe hands going forward. 'On behalf of Roscommon GAA, I would like to wish Mark every success in the role and assure him of our full support as he begins this exciting new chapter.'
