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Callum Walsh will kick off Dana White’s boxing era on Friday at the UFC’s Apex in Las Vegas.

Zuffa Boxing will finally have its first competition helmed by an Irishman, age 24, who is supported by the UFC chief and Saudi Arabian money.

However, the light-middleweight has no prior experience with the UFC.

Walsh has developed his career as a first-round boxer and White’s de facto favorite since the UFC.

With White in his side, he spent the majority of his boxing career on UFC Fight Pass, making him a natural choice to lead his young boxing team.

Walsh described his rapid rise as “Dana has seen the mindset I had, the skills I had, and the one I think was the best one to represent the UFC boxing side.”

He continued, “I’ve always been a fan of the UFC.” So I always felt like I could fight with Zuffa.

Carlos Ocampo will take on Walsh in the end. The UFC Apex, where the MMA promotions host several of its fight nights without fans, will host the event in a low-key opening as part of UFC 324 fight week.

How did White’s first boxer turn out to be a young Irishman? How did he transition from one week of work to Freddie Roach, the legendary coach?

Walsh once had a promising amateur streak of 25 victories and nine losses. He had hoped to compete in the Irish Olympic team, but Covid-19 pandemic struck, putting an end to those plans.

He was already putting in seven days a week of work on a fishing boat.

Walsh made the decision to relocate to Los Angeles and knock on Roach’s renowned Wild Card Boxing Club gym door when the boxing had finished.

Walsh and Walsh have been sparring since their first fight. He was unable to work without a visa and spent two years away from home.

“I was not earning any money. long hours of sleep on the couch. I purchased a car before wrecking it. Walsh said, “There were so many things going on that I thought I should go home,” but he stayed and was eventually granted his green card.

He attributes his focus to his own relentless personal drive and the fishing job, which he credits with keeping him focused.

Walsh said, “It made me realize that I don’t want to go back there, and it made me realize that this is real.”

At the California’s Quiet Cannon Country Club, he made his professional debut at the age of 20.

After that, he made a deal to add boxing to UFC Fight Pass with promoter Tom Loeffler.

Walsh, who was a devoted UFC fan, was shocked by his performance. Even more so when he was given the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez v. Terence Crawford co-main slot in September.

Walsh feels more under pressure, but he feels “destined” to do so.

He said, “I always think I could make a living fighting.”

“I always felt as though I had more to do.” I resisted it, and I’m still here.

Walsh and White now have a legally binding relationship thanks to Zuffa Boxing.

However, the boxing team has sparked both suspicion and anticipation.

The UFC business model, which has led to a billion-dollar business, is essentially outlawed in US boxing.

A keystone of the UFC is the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, which includes provisions for protecting against exclusive and restrictive contracts and, among other things, forbids boxing promotions from awarding their own world champion belts.

The US continues to go through a significant legislative effort, led by White and the TKO Group, the owner of UFC and WWE.

Boxers will likely have less control over their futures and earn less money as a result. Walsh claims he had no issues signing with Zuffa Boxing despite this.

I don’t get involved with boxing’s politics or the regulations. He said, “I just show up and fight.”

There was no selling, they said. Dana has been a part of my entire career, so I’m ready to fight there if Dana White starts a boxing club.

White’s ultimate goal is to prevent boxing sanctioning organizations like WBO, WBC, IBF, and WBA, while also promoting Zuffa Boxing’s belt as the best title in the world along with the title of Ring Magazine, a business owned by Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh.

A branded belt was first spotted when Zuffa Boxing’s first promotional video was released.

Walsh claims that having a belt per weight class makes sense.

Walsh’s immediate future is uncertain, as he aims to win the title in the upcoming year.

IBF Cruiserweight champion Jai Opetia’s signing also raises questions about the operation of Zuffa Boxing. Every fighter in action on Friday, according to the organization, is now exclusively signed to them.

Zuffa Boxing still needs to pass the Ali Act’s changes before it can claim its own belt.

I have no idea how the sanctioning bodies will interact with it. However, Walsh said, “I will undoubtedly be the Zuffa Boxing champion.”

Elfyn Evans claims that the “intense” rallying calendar has helped him recover from the disappointment of not winning yet another World Rally Championship (WRC) championship.

Evans, 36, is a five-time WRC champion and second-place finisher in 2025 behind Sebastien Ogier in the first two years of his debut in Monte Carlo.

The Welshman finished four points ahead of Toyota teammate Ogier in the standings heading into the season-ending Rally Saudi Arabia in November, taking a three-point lead into the race.

Evans said, “There isn’t much time left to think about that, and it’s straight into the new season’s preparation.”

“The sport has probably the least downtime,” he said. That is challenging in and of itself because it doesn’t allow you much time to recover from the previous season.

Before setting foot in the southern French Alps, Evans has spent weeks testing his brand-new Toyota Yaris Rally1.

“The transition between the start of a new season and the end of a previous one is relatively simple,” he continued.

Evans has now surpassed Ogier on three occasions, including in the 2020 season when he also held a championship lead into the final round at Monza before losing the title due to a crash.

He came in second behind Thierry Neuville and Kalle Rovanpera in terms of overall performance in 2023.

The Toyota Gazoo driver hopes that 2026 will mark the year he finally surpasses Colin McRae (1995) and Richard Burns (2001) in winning the WRC title.

“It’s hard. Win the title is always the goal. Naturally, it’s disappointing when you don’t hit your goals,” Evans said.

“But this year offers another chance, and there is a championship up for grabs,” she continued.

In the traditional season opener in 2021, Evans placed second after finishing second in Monte Carlo 12 months prior.

“Mont Carlo has a few new challenges, a few new stages, and the conditions there always throw up a surprise,” Evans said.

To start the year off right, “it’s always a bit of a lottery.”

This year, the drivers will face a 14-event campaign.

Croatia will take over the Croatian Rally, which was co-hosted by Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

The series will wrap up with the contentious Saudi event, which first appeared in 2025, for a second year.

Budapest’s Puskas Arena will host the 2025-26 Champions League final.

The Hungarian capital will host the biggest men’s club game of its kind, whether it was in the Champions League or European Cup.