Walsh Back on the Marquee in Santa Ynez

SANTA YNEZ, CALIFORNIA – Junior middleweight contender Callum Walsh looks to continue his ascent up the 154-pound rankings when he takes on veteran Elias Espadas on Saturday night in the ten-round main event of the UFC Fight Pass “Hollywood Fight Nights” event at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez on Saturday night. Fighters for the seven-bout card weighed-in Friday morning before participating in the ceremonial weigh-in at the Sports Bar at Chumash at the host casino later in the afternoon. 

Walsh (13-0, 11 KOs) of Ventura, California by way of Cork, Munster, Ireland will be making the fourth defense of the regional WBC Continental Americas light middleweight title he claimed in 2024 with a ninth-round knockout of Dauren Yeleussinov at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. Walsh, the WBC #6/IBF #6 ranked contender, made his third appearance at the famed Garden last time out, scoring a devastating first-round knockout of Dean Sutherland this past March. Walsh weighed-in at the 154-pound junior middleweight limit. 

Espadas (23-6-1, 16 KOs) of Merida, Yucatán, Mexico earned this opportunity with a hard-fought majority draw with unbeaten Sadriddin Akhmedov on a UFC Fight Pass-broadcasted event in Commerce, California just two months back. Notably, well-regarded 154-pound contender Xander Zayas stopped Espadas in five in 2022. The thirteen-year pro figures to gauge where Walsh stands amongst the other junior middleweight prospects and contenders. Espadas weighed-in at 153.8-pounds on Friday. 

In the co-feature, undefeated Umar Dzambekov (11-0, 8 KOs) of Los Angeles, California by way of Grozny, Chechnya, Russia will take on former world title challenger Roamer Alexis Angulo (28-3, 23 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by way of Patia, Cauca, Colombia in an eight-round light heavyweight bout. 

Dzambekov, who scaled 176-pounds, will be taking a step-up in class after knocking out his last two opponents inside the first round. Of the seven previous opponents Dzambekov has fought in scheduled eight-rounders, only two were able to last the distance. Angulo, who weighed-in at 174.6-pounds, goes rounds and will figure to provide a stern test for the up-and-coming Dzambekov. Only an over-the-contracted-weight David Benavidez was able to stop Angulo in 2020. Angulo fought Gilberto Ramirez to a twelve-round decision defeat in his first attempt at a world title in 2018 and also went the distance against Edgar Berlanga in 2022. 

Cain Sandoval (15-0, 13 KOs) of Sacramento, California will take on short-notice replacement Yonathan Eniz (36-22-1, 17 KOs) of Dolores, Buenos Aires, Argentina in an eight-round junior welterweight fight. Sandoval, who was originally geared up to take on fellow unbeaten Jesus Madueno, weighed-in at 142.6-pounds on Friday. Eniz, who took the fight on just over a week’s notice, also came in at 142.6-pounds. 

Roxy Verduzco (4-0, 1 KO) of Los Angeles will take a step-up against veteran Celene Roman (6-3-1) of Ontario, California by way of Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico in an eight-round featherweight bout. Verduzco, a multiple-time national amateur champion, appears to be on the fast-track towards contention as she moves up to the eight-round distance in just her fifth pro bout. Roman ended a nearly ten-year sabbatical with a four-round majority decision over Amanda DeRosa in February. Verduzco scaled 125.8-pounds, while Roman came in at 124.4-pounds. 

Opening up the UFC Fight Pass portion of the card, Daniel Barrera (8-1-1, 4 KOs) of Eastvale, California will meet Basilio Franco (10-3, 8 KOs) of Norwalk, California by way of Yahualica De Gonzalez Gallo, Jalisco, Mexico in an eight-round super flyweight bout. Barrera, who scaled 115, will be looking to rebound from his first career defeat to Christopher Rios in February. Franco, who scaled 113.6-pounds and will be making his United States debut, has won six straight entering the bout on Saturday. 

The YouTube-broadcast portion of the card will be capped by once-beaten prospect Gor Yeritsyan (20-1, 16 KOs) of Los Angeles by way of Yerevan, Armenia who takes on Vernon Brown (13-2-1, 9 KOs) of Chicago, Illinois in an eight-round welterweight bout. Yeritsyan, a Wild Card Boxing Club stablemate of Walsh and Sandoval, weighed-in at 146.4-pounds. Brown, returning from a three-plus year layoff, came in at 146.2-pounds. 

MMA veteran Jenelyn Olsim of Ventura by way of Baguio City, Benguet, Philippines will make her transition to the pro boxing game in the curtain raiser against Jessica Radtke Maltez (1-2-1) of Waconia, Minnesota in a four-round featherweight fight. Olsim, who has competed professionally in mixed martial arts since 2016, scaled 125-pounds, while Radtke Maltez, coming off of a six-round decision defeat to Roxy Verduzco in April, came in at 124-pounds. 

Quick Weigh-in Results:

WBC Continental Americas Light Middleweight Championship, 12 Rounds

Walsh 154

Espadas 153.8

Light heavyweights, 8 Rounds

Dzambekov 176

Angulo 174.6

Light welterweights, 8 Rounds

Sandoval 142.6

Eniz 142.6

Featherweights, 8 Rounds

Verduzco 125.8

Roman 124.4

Super flyweights, 8 Rounds

Barrera 115

Franco 113.6

Welterweights, 8 Rounds

Yeritsyan 146.4

Brown 146.2

Featherweights, 4 Rounds

Olsim 125

Radtke Maltez 124

Tickets for the event, promoted by 360 Promotions, are available online at chumashcasino.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com