Boxing: Meet Callum Walsh, Dana White’s favourite boxer as Zuffa Boxing launches

Walsh’s relationship with White is now official with the arrival of Zuffa Boxing.

But the boxing entity has attracted as much suspicion as anticipation.

The UFC business model that has created a billion pound enterprise is effectively banned in US boxing.

The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act places safeguards against exclusive and restrictive contracts and among other things, prohibits boxing promotions from having belts and crowning their own world champions – a cornerstone of the UFC.

A legislative effort, led by White and the TKO Group which owns the UFC and WWE, continues in the US to significantly alter the Ali Act.

It has led to concerns that boxers will earn less and have less control over their futures. Despite this, Walsh says he had no concerns with signing with Zuffa Boxing.

“I don’t get involved with the politics in boxing or the rules. I just show up and fight,” he said.

“There was no sell. Dana’s been with me my entire career so if Dana White is starting a boxing organisation I will 100% fight there.”

White’s ultimate aim is to sideline boxing sanctioning bodies – WBO, WBC, IBF and WBA – and make Zuffa Boxing’s belt the premier world title alongside the Ring Magazine title, an organisation owned by Saudi’s boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh.

When Zuffa Boxing released their first promotional video, there was a glimpse of a branded belt.

Walsh says it “makes a lot more sense to have belt per weight class”.

But it leaves Walsh’s immediate future uncertain as he aims to step up to world title level in the next 12 months.

The signing of IBF cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetia also raises questions about how Zuffa Boxing will work. The organisation says every fighter in action on Friday is now signed exclusively to them.

The reforms to the Ali Act still need to pass for Zuffa Boxing to have their own belt.

“I don’t really know how it will work with the sanctioning bodies. But definitely I plan to be the Zuffa Boxing champion,” Walsh said.

“I think they’ll have some of the biggest fighters in the world here in 12 months.”