The Zuffa Boxing era on Paramount+ will officially begin January 23 in Las Vegas, with undefeated Irish junior middleweight Callum Walsh (15-0, 11 KOs) headlining the promotion’s inaugural show against seasoned Mexican contender Carlos Ocampo (38-3, 26 KOs) at the UFC Apex. Zuffa executive and UFC CEO Dana White announced the bout on The Stephen A. Smith Show, positioning the event as the opening statement for Zuffa’s new boxing venture.
Walsh has long been championed by White, with several of his earlier bouts appearing on UFC Fight Pass. He last fought in September, winning a narrow unanimous decision over Fernando Vargas Jr. on the undercard of Terence Crawford’s victory over Canelo Alvarez. January 23 marks Walsh’s first opportunity to headline a Zuffa Boxing card and set the tone for the promotion’s approach to matchmaking and presentation.
Ocampo, 30, brings significant experience against elite opposition. He has won three straight since a first-round stoppage loss to Tim Tszyu in June 2023, with his only other defeats coming against Sebastian Fundora and Errol Spence Jr. White highlighted the contrast between Walsh’s unbeaten rise and Ocampo’s résumé, noting the veteran’s knockout power and title-fight pedigree as the kind of test Zuffa intends to make standard.
The undercard has also been finalized for the Paramount+ broadcast. In the 10-round co-main event, unbeaten Mexican middleweight Misael Rodriguez (15-0, 7 KOs) returns from a one-year layoff to face fellow undefeated contender Austin Deanda (17-0, 11 KOs). Opening the show over 10 rounds at welterweight, New Jersey’s Julian Rodriguez (24-1, 15 KOs) meets unbeaten Californian Cain Sandoval (17-0, 15 KOs).
Fight card:
▪️Callum Walsh vs. Carlos Ocampo, 10 rounds, middleweight
▪️Misael Rodriguez Olivas vs. Austin Deanda, 10 rounds, middleweight
▪️Cain Sandoval vs. Julian Rodriguez, 10 rounds, super lightweight
