Michael Conlan hopes Belfast 'masterclass' over undefeated opponent sparks world title bid

At age 34, Irish boxing legend Michael Conlan isn’t willing to give up on his world title dream.

Friday is another big night in Belfast for Ireland’s first male amateur world champion. In what will be music to promoter MF Pro’s ears, Conlan’s undefeated opponent from across the Atlantic is coming with a whole lot of energy.

Featherweight prospect Kevin Walsh used boxing to turn his life around after a 2017 search warrant on the Massachusetts native revealed 61 grams of fentanyl and a Raven .25 caliber handgun. After being put under lock and key, Walsh dedicated himself to the sweet science. Since being released in 2016, he has amassed an impressive 19-0 professional record with 10 knockouts.

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Walsh has no shortage of confidence. In a recent interview with Irish boxing journalist Kevin Byrne, he claimed that he sees himself as part of what he calls “Brockton’s big three,” placing himself alongside Rocky Marciano and Marvin Hagler, who also hailed from the New England city.

In the same conversation, he underlined his great respect for Conlan, but also declared his aspirations to retire him when they clash in Conlan’s beloved Belfast.

“He’s undefeated, that’s why he’s got that confidence, but there’s a massive gap in experience and in class. He might be 19-0 with 10 knockouts, but who has he fought? That’s the difference,” Conlan told Uncrowned.

“This is his big opportunity, I get it. He’s going to come in here and give it everything, but that’s exactly what I want. I don’t want to walk in there against someone who’s defeated before they’ve stepped through the ropes. I like this guy’s energy. I’d be interested to see if he keeps it up during fight week. This is ‘idols becoming rivals’ stuff for him, so let’s see how he reacts when I’m moving and I’m hitting and he can’t land a single punch on me.”

Belfast will be behind their man Friday, which could provide the perfect backdrop for a world title statement. Although two of his defeats have come at home, there’s no place Conlan would rather be. Similar to Walsh, he’s one of the many lives that have been saved by combat sports in his city. Conlan grew up in an area where there were 16 boxing gyms in a three-mile radius. While his success is unique, his path is certainly not.

But for all his glory, there’s one thing that keeps him driving forward.

“The world title is the only thing I want and this is the perfect place to let everyone know it,” he said.

“Whether it’s points or it’s a knockout, this is going to be a masterclass. That’s the plan — put on a masterclass and get the title shot, and if it’s not, we’ll do another big show in [Falls Park] in the summer. If that goes well, the world title will come. That’s the aim, to be a world champion, and then get the f*** out of this sport.”

You get the feeling Conlan loves and loathes the sweet science in equal measures at this point. While he knows he’s done well in a game that many don’t, he also knows it’s taken a lot from him — time with his family, time with his children.

Michael Conlan celebrates after victory in his WBC International featherweight fight against Jack Bateson in September 2025 in Dublin.

(Charles McQuillan via Getty Images)

Conlan was one of the big names alongside Katie Taylor and most recently fellow Belfast man Anthony Cacace who helped rejuvenate Irish boxing in the south of the country by headlining events at Dublin’s 3Arena. He expects the scene to blossom beyond Belfast’s and has nothing but praise for young prospects like Pierce O’Leary, Bobbi Flood and Adam Olaniyan, who look likely to be headliners for the Irish capital in the not too distant future.

Last year, it was no surprise when Conlan announced his move into management. Never afraid to speak his mind, before the launch of Zuffa Boxing, he underlined concerns he had with TKO’s payment structure based on what UFC fighters take home from championship bouts.

A lot has happened since then. Zuffa Boxing has hosted four events at the Meta Apex and made big-name signings like Jai Opetaia and Conor Benn.

“If the money is going to be good, they can be good, but if it goes to UFC style pay, it’s not going to be good. They’re trying to flood the market at the moment, putting more money in, to the point that they become unparalleled. I expect it will eventually drop into a UFC style of payout again,” he said.

“It’s crazy seeing the likes of Sean O’Malley saying, ‘Who is Conor Benn?’ They don’t even know him. Let’s be honest, nobody in America really does know [Benn]. He’s only a name in the UK because of his father and the drug stuff. I think it will continue to cause a stir within the UFC. When you see guys like that getting that sort of money and you’re getting paid so little … it’s like, ‘Come on, lads, you can’t do that.’”

Given the cries from the boxing world that the Zuffa title will never mean the same as the prestigious three-letter titles, there’s an obvious question to ask Conlan:

If someone could look into a crystal ball, tell him that he succeeded, that he had won his world title but the only catch is, it’s a Zuffa world title, how would he feel?

“I’d take it,” he replied without batting an eyelid, before bursting into a fit of laughter.

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