Michael Conlan retires at 34 after loss to Kevin Walsh

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 20: Michael Conlan acknowledges the fans as he walks out to the ring prior to the WBC International Featherweight title fight during the Michael Conlan v Kevin Walsh fight night at The SSE Arena Belfast on March 20, 2026 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) | Getty Images Two-time Olympian and former title challenger Michael Conlan is hanging up the gloves after dropping a split decision to Kevin Walsh in Belfast earlier today. The Belfast Telegraph presents his comments in full , including his disappointment at never claiming a championship belt and his desire to spend more time in his family’s lives.

Conlan made international waves at Rio 2016 with a lengthy tirade and parade of middle fingers following a hugely controversial loss to Vladimir Nikitin , which he parlayed into a partnership with Top Rank a month later . He won his first 16 bouts, notably defeating Nikitin and former champ TJ Doheny along the way, before squaring off with Leigh Wood for the secondary WBA featherweight title. A phenomenal start saw Conlan crumple Wood with a monster overhand left, then rack up a virtually insurmountable lead over the next few rounds.

Things went disastrously sideways in the championship rounds, as Wood roared back to deck Conlan in the 11th before blasting him clear out of the ring in the 12th . That defeat would prove the beginning of the end for Conlan’s professional run. An IBF title shot against Luis Alberto Lopez turned into a five-round mauling, after which he suffered another stoppage loss to the light-punching Jordan Gill.

He’s fought just three times in the 2. 5 years since, culminating in today’s ultra-thin defeat. I respect Conlan for acknowledging that, though he thought he deserved the win, he had no chance of winning a world title if he couldn’t comfortably beat this level of opposition.