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Unbeaten Ventura resident Callum Walsh will fight on Chumash Casino card on June 21
Ventura resident Callum Walsh will fight Elias Espadas at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez on Saturday night.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 Walsh ready for fight at Chumash Casino
