A fresh competitor has emerged in professional boxing with the launch of Zuffa Boxing, which is kicking off its fight series on Friday. The headline bout features promising fighters Callum Walsh facing off against Carlos Ocampo. Zuffa Boxing 01 will take place in Las Vegas the night before UFC 324 and will be available to stream exclusively on Paramount+.
Callum Walsh, boasting an undefeated record of 15-0 with 11 knockouts, may become the face of Zuffa Boxing—a promotion co-founded by UFC president and CEO Dana White. Walsh, who has frequently appeared on UFC Fight Pass, recently secured a significant decision win over Fernando Vargas on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terrence Crawford fight in September. Currently, he holds the No. 4 and No. 5 rankings at junior middleweight with the IBF and WBC, respectively, though this upcoming fight will be contested at middleweight.
Fans can sign up for Paramount+ to watch Zuffa Boxing 01 live on Friday night at no extra charge. The subscription, which starts at $8.99 per month or $89.99 annually, also includes UFC 324 and all other major UFC events and Fight Night cards.
Carlos Ocampo will present a seasoned challenge to Walsh. With a record of 38-3 and 26 knockouts, Ocampo’s losses have only come against top-tier champions like Errol Spence Jr., Sebastian Fundora, and Tim Tzu. Coming into Zuffa Boxing 01, the Mexican fighter is on a hot streak, with three consecutive knockout wins over lower-ranked opponents.
Dana White shared with CBS Sports, “Every time I do something, I build an extraordinary team around me. This is what the boxing matchmakers came up with. We believe this is a strong card. I’ve supported Callum for a long time—people even thought I was his manager—but I’ve never profited from him; I’ve just liked and supported him since we met. But I’m not deciding who wins this fight.”
Another key matchup on the main card is Julian Rodriguez versus Cain Sandoval. Rodriguez (24-1, 15 KOs) is coming off an exciting defeat of prospect Avias Griffin in the 10th round, while Sandoval (17-0, 15 KOs) remains undefeated and has a reputation for knocking out nearly every opponent he faces.
Here’s how to catch all the action in Las Vegas on Friday night:
Where to watch Zuffa Boxing 01
- Date: January 23rd
- Venue: Meta APEX, Las Vegas
- Prelims: 6 p.m. ET
- Main card: 9 p.m. ET
- Streaming: Paramount+ (subscriptions start at $8.99/month)
Zuffa Boxing 01 fight card and betting odds:
- Callum Walsh (-700) vs. Carlos Ocampo (+450), middleweight
- Misael Rodriguez Olivas (-700) vs. Austin DeAnda (+450), middleweight
- Cain Sandoval (-200) vs. Julian Rodriguez (+155), welterweight
- Omar Trinidad (-265) vs. Max Ornelas (+205), bantamweight
- Floyd Diaz (-1400) vs. Guillermo Gutierrez (+750), bantamweight
- Emiliano Cardenas (-1100) vs. Marcus Cortez Harris (+600), bantamweight
- Robert Meriwether III (-3000) vs. Cesar Correa (+1000), lightweight
- Troy Nash (-2000) vs. Jacob Ramos (+850), lightweight
Fan Take:
This new venture by Dana White signals a fresh infusion of talent and visibility for professional boxing, bridging the gap between boxing and MMA audiences. For fight fans, Zuffa Boxing presents a chance to discover rising stars in the sport while enjoying high-stakes matchups curated by one of combat sports’ most influential figures.
