Irish boxer Callum Walsh details "crazy" experience with Mark Zuckerberg's wife at UFC event
Surging Irish boxing star Callum Walsh will return to action on Sept.20 at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. The Cork native will defend his WBC Continental Americas Super Welterweight title in a main event bout against Przemyslaw Runowski.
During a recent interview with Sportsnet, Walsh shed light on a backstage interaction with Mark Zuckerberg's wife at a UFC event. Zuckerberg, the co-founder and CEO of Meta, and his wife Priscilla Chan have attended UFC events together, including UFC 300. Speaking about the interaction, Walsh said:
"That was a crazy experience. I never would've thought he [Zuckeberg] would know who I am. It's crazy being at UFC [events] and seeing so many people that know who you are, it was a mad experience."
Walsh added:
"His wife always wondered how the Vaseline was on the face before the fights and she wanted to see how it was done. I happened to be standing right there and 'Cutman' Tate was like, 'Can we use you for a second? She wants to see how it's done. She wants to put on the Vaseline.' And that's what happened. It was a cool experience."
Walsh will return to action against Runowski fresh off a knockout win over Carlos Ortiz Cervantes in June. The Irish boxer wields an 11-0 professional record 9 knockout wins and will be fighting on Irish soil for the first time in his career.
Dana White reveals the qualities that inspire his admiration for Callum Walsh
Callum Walsh has claimed in the past that he's determined to revive the spirit of classic boxing, where top fighters consistently face off against the best. Frustrated with modern boxing's focus on protecting records and avoiding tough opponents, the Dana White-backed boxing star wants to bring a "fight anyone, anytime" mentality back to the sport.
This attitude to fight top completion inspired by MMA has fueled White's admiration for Walsh. Speaking in an interview with UFC, White said:
“I met Callum Walsh a couple of years ago and I love the way he fights. I also love the fact that he’s not fighting guys to pad his record, like the typical boxing model. This is a kid who really believes in himself and his potential to become a world champion. I also love the fact that one of the greatest trainers in the history of the sport, Freddie Roach, believes in him. I am very invested in this fight in Dublin and I’m really excited to not only bring a fight back to Ireland but to be sitting ringside to see Callum fight in his home country."