Jari 'Bull' Mentula to Face Kalle Palander in Crossover Boxing Match on 30 January 2027

A surprise crossover bout will pit media personality Jari 'Bull' Mentula against former slalom world champion Kalle Palander in the boxing ring, Aamulehti reports.

The 50-year-old former professional bodybuilder from Pirkkala told the podcast Gämblers Cast he has virtually no boxing experience. He admits as much. He's motivated by curiosity and by encouragement from his friend and trainer Matias Koistinen. Mentula said he prefers the bout to appearing on Dancing with the Stars and has repeatedly turned down offers to join that show.

Mentula currently weighs just over 120 kilos. Palander plans to move up from the low 90s to about 100 kilos for the fight. The match, promoted by B2 Fight, is scheduled for 30 January 2027; the venue has not been announced.

Mentula plans to shift his training toward boxing while keeping gym work, and he cautioned he does not expect to become a boxer overnight. "I won't become a boxer, that's clear. But we'll certainly learn something," he said.