Callum Walsh vs. Carlos Ocampo | Paramount+ - January 23, 2026

[Sendo Takeshi]

I don’t think their current goal is to sign the biggest names in boxing. They don’t have that kind of money.

Currently Zuffa is a B/C tier promotion. They’re targeting prospects and fighters with limited leverage (gatekeepers, ex-champs past their peak, and boxers who don’t have better options).
The idea is to keep them active and fighting regularly.

For a mid-level fighter, that's probaly still a nice deal. Consistent fights and more or less a major platform. It’s similar to the UFC Apex model, volume and control.

The long term objective doesn't seem to be stars. It’s structural. If they can weaken or bypass the Ali Act, they can move toward a UFC style system where they control contracts, rankings, and titles.

Without that, this never becomes more than a mid-tier league and I hope it does stay that way.

[handsofstone]

2 weeks away, is the line up a surprise?

[MPW]

Finding it in The 13th Round forum, Tapology lists a couple of SWW fights on the card: Serhii Bohachuk vs. Radzhad Butaev and Callum Walsh vs. Carlos Ocampo. If legit, these would be decent bouts.

[catalin714]

Those have been reported for weeks

The rest of the card is the question

[Evander]

Good match ups is all well and good. I just don't think we need another belt or rankings based on fighters who aren't Top 30 fighting each other.

Doesn't look like they want to have another belt
They want theirs to be the most recognized

Never gonna happen if they don't sign any names, and they won't because Dana White would try to offer them all probably 5% of what they're making already.

What if he can sign the names, then what ?

[gilgamesh]

Doesn't look like they want to have another belt
They want theirs to be the most recognized

Never gonna happen if they don't sign any names, and they won't because Dana White would try to offer them all probably 5% of what they're making already.

What if he can sign the names, then what ?

If he could, he would. They wouldn't have done this first show without big names if they could get any. The fact they're doing their first ever Boxing promotion with no names means they couldn't get any big names, and aren't going to get any big names.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Announced: Zuffa Boxing will host its first show on January 23rd at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The event's fights have yet to be confirmed.

[Evander]

Never gonna happen if they don't sign any names, and they won't because Dana White would try to offer them all probably 5% of what they're making already.

What if he can sign the names, then what ?

If he could, he would. They wouldn't have done this first show without big names if they could get any. The fact they're doing their first ever Boxing promotion with no names means they couldn't get any big names, and aren't going to get any big names.

For now that's true.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Dana White has confirmed that a bout between Callum Walsh and Carlos Ocampo will headline the first Zuffa Boxing show on January 23rd in Las Vegas

[Ruthless-RKO]

Callum Walsh vs. Carlos Ocampo headlines first Zuffa Boxing show

The premiere of Zuffa Boxing on Paramount+ will have a main event of junior middleweight prospect Callum Walsh against Carlos Ocampo.

Zuffa executive Dana White – also the long-time head of the UFC – spoke briefly about the bout on Friday on The Stephen A. Smith Show.

“When I talk about matchmaking, I’m going to have all these up-and-coming guys,” White said. “We have this kid named Ocampo, who is a seasoned veteran. His only losses are in title fights – three title fight losses. He has more knockouts than Callum has fights. Callum, undefeated, 15-0, and it’s the main event. Should be a badass boxing event.”

The involvement of Callum Walsh is not at all surprising. White has been a long-time supporter of the 24-year-old from Ireland, who has been a staple of promoter Tom Loeffler’s shows on UFC Fight Pass.

Walsh also received a prime spot on the September undercard of Terence Crawford’s win over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, which White was also involved with promoting. On that show, Walsh widely outpointed Fernando Vargas Jnr to move to 15-0 (11 KOs).

Ocampo, 38-3 (26 KOs), is a 30-year-old from Mexico. His defeats came to welterweight titleholder Errol Spence via one-round KO in 2018; Sebastian Fundora via unanimous decision in 2022 in an interim title bout at 154lbs; and Tim Tszyu, who blasted him out in 77 seconds in 2023 in another interim junior middleweight title bout.

Ocampo has won three straight since, all in 2025. The most recent victory was in October, with Ocampo scoring a third-round KO against an 18-13-1 foe.

Walsh vs. Ocampo will be held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Another show is expected to take place on January 30, a source told BS’s Lance Pugmire. It’s speculated that the January 30 show will feature former junior welterweight titleholder Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela, 14-3 (9 KOs), in his first bout back since being unseated by Gary Antuanne Russell last March.

“I’ve been talking smack about boxing for a long time, and now it’s time for me to put my money where my mouth is,” White said. “I’m going to get rid of the sanctioning organizations. The best will fight the best. We're going to sign all the young, up-and-coming guys. If you break into the top 10, and you’re still undefeated, your undefeated record means something. You know what I mean? Everybody's undefeated in boxing, because nobody fights anybody, right? Everybody will fight everybody.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Callum Walsh-Carlos Ocampo tops Zuffa Boxing's 1st Paramount+ card

Junior middleweight up-and-comer Callum Walsh will fight former world title challenger Carlos Ocampo in the inaugural main event of Zuffa Boxing’s monthly series on Paramount+ that begins Jan. 23 at the Apex in Las Vegas.

Zuffa Boxing’s Dana White, who also is the president and CEO of TKO Group Holdings sister company UFC, mentioned the fight during a wide-ranging interview with Stephen A. Smith on his YouTube show on Friday that also delved into UFC’s upcoming events, UFC’s new deal with Paramount+, and his close friendship with President Donald Trump.

“When I talk about matchmaking, I’m going to have all these up-and-coming guys,” White told Smith. “We have this kid named Ocampo, who is a seasoned veteran. His only losses are in title fights — three title fight losses. He has more knockouts than Callum has fights. Callum, undefeated, 15-0, and it’s the main event. Should be a badass boxing event.”

Walsh (15-0, 11 KOs), 24, an Irish southpaw based in Southern California, where he is trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach, has been a White favorite. His bouts have been regularly streamed on UFC Fight Pass, which is the home of Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions events. Loeffler is working with Zuffa Boxing as it kicks off and Walsh has long been expected to be part of the roster.

Walsh’s last fight was a lopsided 10-round decision over Fernando Vargas Jr. on Sept. 13 on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford mega fight that Zuffa Boxing promoted for Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh, whose government is funding Zuffa Boxing.

Ocampo (38-3, 26 KOs), 30, of Mexico, is best know for his losses — a first-round knockout loss challenging then-IBF welterweight titlist Errol Spence Jr. in 2018, a lopsided decision challenging Sebastian Fundora for the WBC interim junior middleweight title in 2022, and a first-round knockout loss to Tim Tszyu challenging him for the WBO interim junior middleweight belt in 2023. Ocampo has won three fights in a row by knockout since against low-level opponents.

As far as his entrance into boxing, White knows he has something to prove with Zuffa Boxing.

“I’ve been talking smack about boxing for a long time, and now it’s time to put my money where my mouth is,” White told Smith. “I’m going to get rid of the sanctioning organizations. The best will fight the best. We’re going to sign all the young, up-and-coming guys. If you break into the top 10 (of the Zuffa rankings), and you’re still undefeated, your undefeated record means something. You know what I mean? Everybody’s undefeated in boxing, because nobody fights anybody. Everybody will fight everybody.”

[MPW]

Walsh vs. Ocampo shouldn't be a bad fight, but as the headliner for your first-ever promotion ...

What happened to Bohachuk vs. Butaev, which was also noted for this event? I haven't seen nor read anything about it, although when I last looked it was still listed on Tapology.

So I'll just reiterate the question everyone has asked, who else is fighting on the card?

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Sendo Takeshi]

Wow..
I’ll be sure to add this to my calendar immediately...just to ensure I’m busy with something else.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Week!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Date: Friday January 23, 2026
Location: Meta APEX - Las Vegas, NV
TV/Stream: Paramount+

Start Times
YouTube: 6 pm ET | 3 pm PT | 11 pm GMT (Preliminary Card)
Paramount+: 9 pm ET | 2 pm PT | 2 am GMT (Main Card)

Promoted by: Zuffa Boxing

Main Card

10 Round Middleweight Bout
Callum Walsh vs. Carlos Ocampo

10 Round Middleweight Bout
Misael Uziel Rodriguez vs. Austin Deanda

10 Round Super Lightweight Bout
Julian Rodriguez vs. Cain Sandoval

Preliminary Card)

10 Round Featherweight Bout
Omar Cande Trinidad vs. Max Ornelas

8 Round Bantamweight Bout
Floyd Diaz vs. Guillermo Gutierrez

6 Round Bantamweight Bout
Emiliano Cardenas vs. Marcus Cortez Harris

6 Round Super Featherweight Bout
Robert Meriwether III vs. Cesar Correa

6 Round Featherweight Bout
Troy Nash vs. Jaycob Ramos

[Ruthless-RKO]

Ceremonial weigh in

[Ruthless-RKO]

Will be free in UK via YouTube

As Zuffa don’t have a UK broadcast deal

[handsofstone]

Will be free in UK via YouTube

As Zuffa don’t have a UK broadcast deal

Fair play

[Ruthless-RKO]

Will be free in UK via YouTube

As Zuffa don’t have a UK broadcast deal

Fair play

Via WWE channel.

TKO perks

It’s better to have it free and available some how than not at all. More eyes is important

[margaret thatcher]

some decent under card fights on this one

[handsofstone]

98-90 Walsh, pretty boring fight tbh, no frills kinda performance from Walsh, kept it simple, Ocampo fought the wrong fight, tried to punch with Walsh early on but came off second best and was too passive in the second half when Walsh just relied on single shots, either the lead left or lead right hook, he occasionally threw the right after the left but didn't use his jab well enough Walsh, didn't make the most of his height and reach but it was still plain sailing


The ref called a bogus count in Ocampo's favour in the 6th after a coming together had Walsh down, the ref also gave Ocampo a point off in the 9th for low blow which was harsh so not a good night for him, a forgettable fight