The odds may be stacked against him. He’s facing Dana White’s pet project, Callum Walsh, on a card put up by the UFC president’s Zuffa Boxing. But Fernando Vargas Jr. remains unfazed. “I just feel they’re overlooking me so much. This is what boxing’s about. When people don’t believe in you, you make people believe in you,” he said recently. However, the fight between the son of a legend and one of boxing’s most promising prospects isn’t about odds alone.

It’s what the two young fighters will bring to the table. On Saturday night, ahead of the headliner at Allegiant Stadium, Callum Walsh and Fernando Vargas Jr. promise to give fans a memorable evening. Backed by experience and wisdom, it’s a clash of ambition and youthful energy. Will Walsh live up to the expectations and edge closer to his title dreams? Or defying odds, carrying the torch of his father’s legacy, Vargas Jr. stages a huge upset that finally allows an entry into the coveted ranks. Let’s check it out.

Predicting Callum Walsh vs. Fernando Vargas Jr.: Who has better stats and a record?

It couldn’t have been a closer fight, even outside the ring. If Walsh made his professional debut in 2021, then 28-year-old Vargas Jr. began his journey a year before. With 14 bouts, the Cork, Ireland-born fighter maintains an undefeated record. Fernando Vargas Jr., on the other hand, has participated in 17 professional fights. Like Walsh, he has yet to face defeat.

It’s the knockout power where the two fighters diverge. With 11 of his victories secured through early stoppage, Callum Walsh’s knockout-to-win rate stands at a competitive 79%. However, Fernando Vargas Jr. has dispatched 15 of his seventeen opponents inside the distance, thus earning him a fearsome 88% KO rate.

So it’s a clash of styles. A technically gifted fighter with decent firepower fending off the aggression of a heavy hitter.

Walsh vs. Vargas Jr.: height, weight, reach comparison, and more

In physical terms as well, there is not much of a difference between the two. Callum Walsh records a 6-foot (183-centimeter) height. Fernando Vargas Jr., on the other hand, stands tall at 5 feet and 11 inches (180 centimeters). Both record a 72-inch, or 183-centimeter, reach.

Ahead of the June fight against Elias Espadas, Walsh weighed 154 pounds. Vargas Jr. weighed in 3 pounds lighter, at 151.8 pounds, when he faced Gonzalo Gaston Coria back in May.

Fight prediction

With Dana White endorsing him, Hall of Famer Freddie Roach in his corner, and boasting consistency and top form, Callum Walsh seems to enjoy the oddsmakers’ favor. But it will be naïve if he takes Fernando Vargas Jr.’s threat casually.

Speaking about his student, Roach pointed at Vargas Jr.’s jab. “Vargas is a real fighter with a very good jab,” he said. Hence, to counter, the team has apparently come up with a game plan. “Vargas is in his prime and undefeated, so it is definitely a step up for Callum,” he told the Ring Magazine.

But Vargas Jr. remains equally unperturbed. The hype surrounding his opponent seems to have a negligible effect. “He (Walsh) keeps saying, ‘I fought everyone all over the world,’ and ‘Vargas is a stepping stone.’ Alright, we’re just going to have to see… We’re fighting a 10-round fight. My dad is cooking up a great game plan, and I’m coming in confident.”

But deep down, Junior understands the line he shouldn’t cross. “I have to stop him or knock him out,” he emphasized. “If it goes to the scorecards, there’s a business side of it, and I feel they could give it to him.”

So come Saturday night, fans can look forward to a no-holds-barred exchange.

Do you think Callum Walsh will live up to the expectations?