Dana White & Turki Alalshikh Scale Back Support for Callum Walsh Amid Allegations

Dana White’s praise for Callum Walsh comes from genuine admiration, but it seems he has already started to pull back on the hype surrounding the unbeaten Irish southpaw. While he’s described Walsh as a fun fighter and a great kid, White has also pointed to his Irish heritage as a major factor in building fan loyalty in the US, drawing comparisons to the way Conor McGregor once captured the MMA world.

Previously, Dana White had said, “We’ve had a lot of success with the Irish here with Conor, and I think this kid could become extremely popular with the Irish. I’m not saying he’s going to be [as popular as] Conor, but he’s a great kid, and he has a really fun fighting style. We can take him to New York and Boston and really build him into something.” Still, if you expect Dana White to keep pouring on the support for the 24-year-old boxing prospect, you might be in for a surprise.

Dana White won’t take sides in the fight game

Yesterday, when Dana White sat down with combat reporter Wade Plemons, towards the end of the conversation, the focus shifted toward the co-main event of Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez, the event that Dana White and His Excellency Turki Alalshikh are promoting, where two rising junior middleweight contenders, Callum Walsh and Fernando Vargas Jr., are set to collide in the co-main event. The host, therefore, asked White, “I know you are very excited about his [Callum Walsh] fight. And then give me one fight Dana White would like to promote outside this mega fight here.” White responded by addressing the accusation that has been recently made by Walsh’s opponent, Fernando Vargas Jr.

“Well, I will tell you this. I heard that Fernando Vargas Jr. was saying not only am I fighting Callum Walsh on Saturday night, I am fighting Dana White and Turki Alalshikh. Meaning that he feels like the deck is stacked against him. Because, you know, I got behind Callum. [But] that’s not true.” Why the allegation, you ask?

Dana White had the option of placing the WBC Interim Super Middleweight title clash between Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez as the co-main event, or even the bout featuring Japanese featherweight Reito Tsutsumi, The Ring’s newest brand ambassador. Instead, he elevated Callum Walsh’s non-title fight to the co-main slot, a move that could easily be perceived as favoritism from HE Turki Alalshikh and White himself. However, White was quick to clear the air. “I put these fights together. I do all the bells and whistles. Who wins or loses is up to you,” the 56-year-old explained.

However, it now appears Dana White is dialing back his support, at least until the fight is done. Speaking directly to the son of former two-time junior middleweight champion Fernando Vargas, White clarified, “Fernando Vargas Jr., I respect your father and what he did in his career and everything else, Saturday night’s up to you. We are giving you the opportunity. You are the co-main event in the fight of a lifetime. I respect you as much as I respect anybody else on the card, including the main event. Saturday night is up to you.”

Walsh may have White’s backing, but he’s no manufactured hype job. With an impressive amateur background and guidance from legendary trainer Freddie Roach, he’s already proving himself in the pro ranks. White, however, was adamant that the fight would remain fair. “I promise you, you do not have Turki Alalshikh or myself against you on Saturday. You go in and do what you do and Callum’s going to do what he does. And this is an opportunity for both of you, to not only build your name and your legacy, but make a lot of money,” the UFC CEO added. Still, it raises the question: why does Fernando Vargas Jr. believe Dana White is backing Callum Walsh so much?

Why Callum Walsh isn’t a Dana White project

If you didn’t already know, Dana White doesn’t actually promote Callum Walsh, and that’s not why he’s taken an interest in him. The 24-year-old fights under 360 Promotions, run by veteran promoter Tom Loeffler, who has worked closely with White to help grow boxing’s reach. Loeffler has been tasked with helping Dana White create the new boxing league which very likely means that they are banking on Callum Walsh to be the next best thing in boxing so that they can build the new boxing league behind him.

But that’s not all. Training out of Freddie Roach’s famed Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, Callum Walsh works alongside UFC names like Tony Ferguson and embraces the promotion’s “fight-anyone-anywhere” mentality. That mindset has only fueled White’s admiration for the young Irish southpaw.

Now, if Callum Walsh manages to get past Fernando Vargas Jr., he could stamp his ticket as a potential face for TKO’s Zuffa Boxing division in the coming days. While he may not have the same knockout power, Walsh carries more height and reach into the fight, advantages that could tip the scales in his favor. That said, do you think Callum Walsh will be the one to hand Vargas Jr. his first career loss? Or will the son of the boxing veteran spoil plans for Dana White and HE Turki Alalshikh?