On January 23, Callum Walsh made history by winning the first-ever Zuffa Boxing event, defeating Carlos Ocampo at the Meta Apex. The Irish boxing star is often dubbed Dana White’s favorite boxer, largely because he believes his mindset mirrors the UFC mentality inside the ring. Riding high after the win, Walsh opened up about the people who influenced his journey and specifically credited Tony Ferguson for helping him secure an apartment in the United States.
After failing to make the Irish Olympic team due to COVID-19 disruptions, ‘King’ believed his dream of becoming a boxing superstar was slipping away. Still, he took a chance and flew to Los Angeles to train at the Wild Card Boxing Club gym. Life was not easy early on, but Walsh eventually found enough success to afford a place of his own in L.A. The 24-year-old later revealed that Tony Ferguson co-signed the apartment paperwork, helping him take that crucial step.
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Callum Walsh thanks Tony Ferguson for helping him through his early struggle days
“He was supposed to be here, actually, you know. I think his son is a bit sick, you know. So I hope he’s better and I hope he’s doing well. But Tony is great. I love Tony. I have trained with Tony for a long time. He’s one of my very good friends, you know. Tony has done a lot outside for me. If I didn’t have Tony, I wouldn’t have been able to get my first-ever apartment in LA. He co-signed for me to get an apartment,” Callum Walsh said during the Zuffa Boxing post-fight press conference.
For those unfamiliar, the Irish boxing sensation and the former interim UFC lightweight champion trained together in California. In a 2022 interview with CageSide Press, Walsh revealed that he and Ferguson worked across multiple disciplines, including wrestling, alongside boxing.
“Tony has done so much for me. He used to send me groceries. Every week he used to text me, ‘go outside, I sent you groceries.’ He would help me a lot when I first got here. And I wish Tony all the best, and I’m very happy to see him winning,” Walsh added in the interview.
While Walsh publicly acknowledged Ferguson’s support, ‘King’ also shared his happiness over the UFC legend’s recent success in the boxing ring. And given that ‘El Cucuy’ showed flashes of his vintage form in his last outing.
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‘El Cucuy’ finds his rhythm again at Misfits Boxing
After losing eight straight fights in the UFC, Tony Ferguson decided to walk away from Dana White’s promotion, looking to carve out a new chapter elsewhere. When the 41-year-old revealed that boxing would be the next step in his journey, it raised a few eyebrows among fans. However, shutting down the doubts, ‘El Cucuy’ made a comeback.
At the MF & DAZN X Series 22 event, the former UFC fighter picked up his first win in six years against Nathaniel ‘Salt Papy’ Bustamante. Ferguson surprised fans by scoring a third-round knockout, thus ending his eight-fight losing streak in MMA. Even then, questions about his longevity lingered, with many fans believing the run would not last long. Once again, ‘El Cucuy’ chose to silence that noise.
Ferguson followed it up with another strong performance against Warren Spencer at last year’s Misfits Mania event, this time in even more dominant fashion. While he did not score a knockout, the UFC veteran dropped his opponent during the fight and even broke Spencer’s teeth as he cruised to a clear unanimous decision victory.
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Now, as he looks to move forward, the former interim 155 lbs champion could potentially face Dillon Danis in his next outing. That said, what do you think the future holds for ‘El Cucuy’? Let us know in the comments section below.
The post Dana White’s Favorite Boxer Thanks Tony Ferguson After Winning Zuffa Boxing’s First Main Event appeared first on EssentiallySports.
