Callum Walsh could be a win or two away from fighting on a major platform. Elias Espadas stands in his way.
The unbeaten Ventura resident will square off against Espadas on Saturday night at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez. The 10-round junior middleweight bout will headline a 360 Boxing Promotions card that will stream live on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m.
Walsh (13-0, 11 knockouts) last fought on March 16 in New York City, knocking out once-beaten Dean Sutherland in the opening round. Espadas is coming off a close majority decision draw against unbeaten Sadriddin Akhmedov on April 19.
The 24-year-old Walsh is the betting favorite going into Saturday’s clash, but is not overlooking Espadas.
“(Saturday) would be a good win for me, considering he’s coming off a draw against a prospect,” Walsh told The Star at a recent open media workout at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, where he trains. “If I could win and get the job done, it’ll show I’m levels above.”
Walsh has fought at Chumash before, dropping Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz three times en route to a second round knockout victory on June 7, 2024.
Originally from Ireland, where he was a multi-amateur champion, Walsh recently moved to Ventura.
While he enjoys the amenities of the weather and surroundings, a move to Ventura was in play for personal reasons. Walsh is dating MMA star Tabitha Ricci, who resides and trains in Ventura and is an instructor at Paragon Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Ricci is trained by Joseph “Hoss” Janik at Knuckleheadz Gym in Ventura.
“Ventura is a nice place,” said Walsh, who is trained by Freddie Roach. “The weather is great. I like living there.”
The southpaw Walsh is rated No. 6 by both the IBF and WBC, two of boxing’s major sanctioning bodies. A win over Espadas could see Walsh move higher in the rankings and position himself for a possible world title fight next year.
Besides Ricci, Walsh has a stellar team around him, including promoter Tom Loeffler and UFC President Dana White. Walsh has marketed himself well, appearing at UFC events as a guest of White and at WWE events, as well.
Walsh is confident an impressive win over Espadas will position him closer to elite level of the 154-pound division.
“I believe I’m one of the best junior middleweight fighters in the world. I truly believe that. People don’t know it yet,” he said. “I’m looking forward to improving and showing that on a big stage. I will keep fighting those they put in front of me.”
Espadas (23-6-1, 16 KOs), who resides in Merida, Mexico, knocked out journeyman Ramon Barajas on Dec. 7, 2024. Prior to the win over Barajas, the 34-year-old Espadas suffered back-to-back knockout losses to Xander Zayas and Fiodor Czerkaszyn.
In the co-feature, unbeaten junior welterweight Cain Sandoval (15-0, 13 KOs) of Sacramento will face Argentina’s Jonathan Eniz (36-22-1, 17 KOs) in an eight-round bout.
Daniel Barrera (8-1-1, 4 KOs) of Eastvale will square off against Basilio Franco (10-3, 8 KOs) of Norwalk in an eight-round junior bantamweight bout. Barrera suffered his first loss as a pro to Christopher Rios on Feb. 21.
The 23-year-old is managed by Ray Chaparro, who owns Cafe Amri in Oxnard.
Jenelyn Olsim of Santa Paula will make her professional debut, facing Jessica Radtke Maltez (1-2-1) of Waconia, Minnesota, in a four-round featherweight bout. Olsim is trained by Janik at Knuckleheadz Gym.
The Olsim-Radtke fight will stream live on the UFC Fight Pass YouTube page at 6 p.m.
Francisco A. Salazar covers boxing for The Star. He has also covered the sport for Ring Magazine and Boxingscene. He can be reached on X/Twitter at FSalazarBoxing.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Unbeaten Ventura resident Callum Walsh will fight on Chumash Casino card on June 21
Reporting by Francisco A. Salazar / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
