Michael Conlan vs Kevin Walsh Preview March 20th, 2026
Michael Conlan of Belfast, Northern Ireland puts his WBC International Featherweight Title on the line in his hometown this Friday, March 20th when he takes on unbeaten Kevin Walsh of Brockton, Massachusetts. The 10-round featherweight tilt can be seen live in most nations on DAZN. Conlan last fought in September when he stopped Jack Bateson in four rounds for the vacant belt. In his previous outing last March he beat Asas Asif Khan on points over eight rounds to snap a two-fight losing skid as he was stopped by Jordan Gill in the seventh round in December, 2023 and was halted by IBF Featherweight Champion Luis Alberto Lopez in the fifth round in 2023. Walsh last stepped into the ring in November when he beat Jose Nunez Sosa via an eight-round unanimous decision.
Conlan vs Walsh Betting Odds
Here are the winner odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Kevin Walsh +325
- Michael Conlan -450
My Pick
The 34-year-old Conlan carries around a record of 20-3 with 10 Ko’s. He enjoyed a fine amateur career as he participated in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and was a quarter finalist at the 2011 European Championships and 2011 World Amateur Championships. He won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, a silver medal at the 2013 European Championships and reached the final eight of the 2013 World Amateur Championships.
He then won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and both the 2015 European Championships and World Amateur Championships before participating in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Conlan also fought in the World Series of Boxing from 2012 to 2015. As an amateur, he lost to Andrew Selby three times as well as to Jason Moloney, Robeisy Ramirez and Vladimir Nikitin (twice) and beat the likes of Khalid Yafai, Nordine Oubaali (twice), Jose Diaz and Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
Conlan turned pro back in 2017 and has 162 rounds of experience to his name since. He stands 5-feet-8-inches tall with a 69-inch reach and has average power as 50 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage but seven of his past 11 victories have gone the distance. Since turning pro he’s also captured the vacant WBO Inter-Continental, and vacant WBA Inter-Continental Featherweight Titles, the WBA Interim World Featherweight Crown as well as the WBO Inter-Continental Super Bantamweight Crown.
Conlan has fine boxing skills and can also switch to southpaw at times and be just as effective. He was ahead on all three scorecards when he was stopped dramatically and brutally by Leigh Wood for the WBA Featherweight Belt in March, 2022 for his first career loss in a slugfest. His biggest wins have been against Miguel Marriaga, TJ Doheny, Ionut Baluta, Sofiane Takoucht, Kenny Guzman, David Berna, Jason Cunningham, Ruben Garcia and Diego Alberto Ruiz and he also avenged his controversial amateur defeats to Nikitin.
The 33-year-old Walsh makes the ring walk with a perfect record of 19-0 with 10 Ko’s and has 82 rounds of pro experience under his belt since making his debut in 2021. He enjoyed a fine amateur career as he reached the semifinals of the New England Golden Gloves Elite Division in 2020. Walsh measures just over 5-feet-7-inches tall with a 65-inch wingspan to give up half-an-inch in height and four inches in reach to Conlan. As far as power is concerned, Walsh’s current knockout ratio clocks in at 52.6 per cent and he’s halted five of his last seven opponents.
He captured the vacant USA New England Super Featherweight Belt in 2022 and added the vacant USA New England Lightweight Crown in 2024. He then added the USA Silver Featherweight Title in February, 2025 when he stopped Ricky de los Santos in the eighth round. Walsh will be taking a step up in class against Conlan this weekend though as he’s never faced a legitimate contender and 11 of his 19 opponents entered the ring with a winning record. His also has wins against Angel Luna, Tramaine Williams and Irvin Gonzalez.
Prediction……
Conlan’s amateur success hasn’t followed him to the pros as he was stopped in both of his world title shots and in all three of his defeats. His boxing skills are fine but his ability to take a punch may be his problem. He’s facing a decent puncher and boxer in Walsh, who’s also unbeaten, and this could be a pretty close contest. I’ll give Conlan the benefit of the doubt here though due to his experience against tougher opposition and the fact that he’s fighting in his hometown.
Conlan needs to be the aggressor and let his hands go.
Play: Conlan -450 @ BetOnline.ag
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Kevin Walsh betting • Michael Conlan betting