• Callum Walsh fights for only the second time of his pro career Thursday in California.
  • He enjoyed a wildly successful pro debut three months ago, and signed a deal with 360 Promotions.
  • Promoter Tom Loeffler believes he may have the next Conor McGregor or Katie Taylor on his hands.

LOS ANGELES — Young boxer Callum Walsh, 21, fights for only the second time Thursday but is already making the combat sports industry sit up and take notice.

Backed by boxing promoter Tom Loeffler and trained by coach Freddie Roach, Walsh has the support of the UFC President Dana White, and could well be following in the footsteps of Conor McGregor and Katie Taylor as the next big fighting thing to come out of Ireland.

Walsh made his pro debut as a free agent in December, spectacularly finishing Earl Henry with a violent flurry of punches in the first round.

Loeffler was so impressed he awarded Walsh a contract to join his 360 Promotions stable, and built a St. Patrick's Day event for him to star in upon his return to the ring at Quiet Cannon Country Club in Montebello, California this week.

"He made such a big impact on his pro debut on our December show that we actually planned this date featuring him in only his second fight," Loeffler told Insider.

Watch the thumping win right here:

Thursday's show, the latest in Loeffler's "Hollywood Fight Night" series, will be broadcast on UFC Fight Pass — a subscription-based streaming service owned by UFC parent company Zuffa.

"Dana White got behind him 100%," Loeffler said. "We did a sponsorship deal with Howler Head whiskey already for Callum, and he's gotten a lot of recognition and praise from Freddie Roach, who's trained numerous world champions."

Roach is renowned for developing Manny Pacquiao from a titleholder in the lighter weight classes, to a box office sensation and multi-divisional talent. Roach also taught boxing to Miguel Cotto, James Toney, and MMA legend Georges St. Pierre.

"Freddie is really excited about working with Callum and his talents," said Loeffler. "And we're looking to be able to play a role in developing him to the next level."

Walsh may be the heir to McGregor and Taylor's throne

When Walsh and Loeffler were hanging out with White at the Performance Institute in Las Vegas, the UFC boss told them how "the Irish thing is fucking powerful," knowing first-hand how it helped elevate McGregor into a crossover star.

For Roach, a "knockout somewhere along the way" is pretty much guaranteed when Walsh returns to the ring on Loeffler's midweek show because he's a "good puncher."

"I've watched tape on his opponent. He's a good opponent but … Callum is a bit too much for him," Roach told Fight Pass.

It begs the question as to whether Walsh can be the next big-name fighter coming out of Ireland, like McGregor — a former two-weight UFC champion — and Taylor, one of the all-time greats of women's boxing.

"Absolutely," Loeffler told Insider without hesitation. "One of the things that impressed us with Callum in his pro debut was his poise in the ring and his aggressiveness and punching power."

Boxing executive Loeffler has worked for decades with Hall of Fame fighters Wladimir Klitschko and Vitali, and Gennadiy Golovkin, also known as Triple-G.

It's no surprise to hear him say: "I've always been a big fan of knockouts."

"With the Klitschkos, Triple-G, when you can provide exciting knockouts in the ring, it just makes the marketability and promotion of a fighter that much easier."

And Walsh, when media is around to film his training sessions, likes playing up to the cameras when he's on the mitts and with Roach in the ring, Loeffler said. "He likes to be in front of the camera."

Loeffler again recalls that wildly successful pro debut three months ago.

"A lot of fighters who make the transition from the amateurs to the professionals, sometimes they get a little bit gun shy and not as aggressive as they were in the amateurs. But we didn't see any of that.

"We definitely saw him just with eagerness to get the win in the ring and that's what really looks to set him apart — already having that star quality this early in his career.

"I've never seen, with all the fighters I worked with, people flying from Ireland to Los Angeles just to be there for his professional debut. It was amazing. People were singing, standing on the chairs, to see their hero walk in the ring."

For Loeffler, Walsh has the "whole package."

"You need to be exciting in the ring, and successful, but, at the same time, you need to be able to market yourself.

"He's good on social media, he's got a big fanbase already going into his professional career, and we're really excited about the prospects of developing the next future star of boxing."

Read the original article on Insider