Michael Conlan has confirmed it is the “end of the road” after losing a split decision to Kevin Walsh at Belfast’s SSE Arena.
The former World Amateur Champion had hoped that the win would give the professional top honors for a third time, but in a rather monotonous contest, Walsh received two verdicts 96-94 and Conlan took the third card 97-93.
advertise
The 33-year-old visitor from the United States maintains a perfect record of 20 wins in as many games, while Conlan’s record is 20-4.
Conlan has high hopes of taking on WBC featherweight champion Bruce Carrington later this year.
Despite some brief moments where Conlan looked to box rather than brawl, the fight never quite came alive, and while Walsh was never completely in control, his moments were enough to give him a career-best win as the Belfast native announced his retirement.
“I said no matter what the circumstances, the next defeat was going to be my end of boxing, and it’s here,” Conlan told reporters in a darkened locker room afterwards.
advertise
“I don’t think I lost, but I wasn’t good enough, that’s just a fact. For me, to be a world champion, I need to beat guys like that, and beat them. That was so close, it’s disturbing.”
“I’m 34 now and I’m too old. I thought I won, but that’s the way it is. I don’t want to do it anymore, so it’s time to say goodbye to boxing.”
Confident Walsh silences home fans
Walsh wins WBC international featherweight title [Getty Images]
Walsh danced around the ring, exuding the confidence of someone who had yet to taste defeat as a pro, looking at home despite being a long way from his home in Brockton, Massachusetts.
advertise
It was an extremely cautious start for both sides as Conlan came out orthodox but quickly reverted to southpaw, but the Belfast man’s left hand seemed to bring the challenger to life and Walsh finished with his right hand.
The second time, a gash appeared on Conlan’s forehead – the result of a head collision – and blood flowed profusely.
Conlan was largely cagey, trying to find a home for his jab, but they were temporarily trading things off towards the end of the round, with Walsh looking dangerous in the area.
The American kept feinting and spurring at times in an attempt to equalize Conlan’s lead, but the Belfast man kept his composure and refused to overcommit as he tried to create mistakes of his own.
advertise
Both men seemed to respect each other’s strength, which meant the first half’s highlights were fleeting and limited to a single shot, but Conlan seemed to have more of those chances as his footwork kept the U.S. from sporadic blitzes, but he got a chance to work inside during a brief exchange in the seventh.
While the bleeding from Conlan’s earlier cut seemed to have stopped, the cut over his right eye now became an issue in the eighth, providing some encouragement to Walsh, but he still didn’t quite press in the ninth, save for a brief moment at the end of the round when Conlan seemed to have control of his movements.
The visitor did deliberately but fully sustain his attack at the start of the 10th and final over, but he was under more pressure and, ultimately, it was enough to send him home.
Conlan falls short of final goal
Conlan is a standout amateur and won a bronze medal at the 2021 Olympics [Getty Images]
He returns to Belfast for the first time since losing to Jordan Gill in December 2023, giving him plenty to think about in his career.
advertise
After a 16-month hiatus, Conlan returned in March 2025 under new coach Grant Smith, winning on points against Asad Asif Khan at Brighton and Jack Bateson in Dublin six months later.
However, the SSE Arena once again proved a disappointment on his final night, which led to his decision to retire.
This time he wasn’t completely dominated, but rather self-aware that his performance wasn’t to the point where he could threaten the standing champion.
Walsh turned to look for his chance and then called out WBC featherweight champion Bruce Carrington.
advertise
“It was definitely a close fight,” he told DAZN afterwards.
“Hats off to Mick Conlan – I’ve always been a fan but he couldn’t get enough of me. He was a great fighter but his time had come.”
The words rang true, and Conlan confirmed that the time had indeed come.
“Boxing has given me an incredible life,” he reflects.
“I will never be bitter about the situation because it gives you so much and it takes so much from you. I always say you will never fall in love with the sport because it will never love you back.
“I want to stay healthy and my family happy while I’m away. I’ve done really well in boxing, reached some serious heights and fought in some serious arenas around the world and accomplished things that a lot of boxers can’t do.”
advertise
He continued: “I’ve achieved a lot, but have I achieved my goal of becoming a world champion? No, that’s the hardest part.
“I’m a stubborn person and want to keep going, but I’m missing out on a lot of my family’s life. I have two kids, my daughter is 11 next week and my son is seven. I’ve missed about 65 or 70 percent of their lives through boxing and training camps, so it’s time to come home.”
