“The expectation was always, ‘Can you fight?'” Biaggio Ali Walsh tells talkSPORT.com.
The 26-year-old from Las Vegas is describing a unique time in his childhood when peers would challenge him to street fights simply because of his name.
Ali Walsh, 26, is undefeated in two professional MMA fightsGetty“You know what’s crazy? When I was a kid, it was a secret who my grandad was,” Ali Walsh says.
“We didn’t go around telling people – they would find out when they came to my house and saw all this Muhammad Ali memorabilia, and word spreads like wildfire.
“That’s how I had street fights. People challenging me, bringing in gloves, saying, ‘Let’s box.’
“Simply because they found out who my granddad was, they wanted to ego test me…
“That also ties into the pressure too, because being in a combat sport, people want to see if Muhammad Ali’s grandson fight.”
Ali Walsh was reflecting on a period that came well before he decided to pursue a career in MMA, following a similar path to his legendary grandfather, Muhammad Ali, who is widely regarded as the greatest boxer of all time.
His younger brother, Nico Ali Walsh, is a professional boxer himself, boasting a record of 11 wins and two defeats, having claimed a unanimous decision victory in his last fight in May.
Biaggio fights out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas and returns to action on Friday under the PFL banner.
The lightweight emerged through the promotion’s amateur ranks in 2023, made his professional debut in February 2024, and has since gone undefeated in two fights.
He takes on Ronnie Gibbs in a lightweight showcase bout at a PFL world tournament event in Chicago.
Biaggio [left] and his brother, Nico, are now both in the fight game tooNico Ali Walsh - Instagram His grandfather was the original three-time boxing heavyweight world championNeil Leifer - 'Boxing. 60 Years of Fights and Fighters'According to the man himself, Ali Walsh ‘never would’ve guessed’ he would end up being in the position he is today.
His grandfather passed away in 2016, before he came to the decision.
Having grown up playing American football in college, with no combat sports background, Ali Walsh found himself training at Xtreme Couture MMA gym after a friend had invited him to a session.
He had been previously working at adidas and in real estate while living in Las Vegas.
But a lack of direction and the area Ali Walsh grew up in prompted him to make ‘dumb decisions’ in his youth.
So once he was accepted in the amateur team at Xtreme Couture, he knew it was something he wanted to take serious.
Biaggio says his style is completely different to his grandfatherGetty He likes to get up close and personal in the cage, while Ali preferred to dance around his opponentGetty“[I want to be] a champion,” Ali Walsh continued, speaking on his future goals in the sport.
“Any kind of belt, so that I can help inspire people.
“Coming from the background I have and the pressure that I have… being Muhammad Ali’s grandson I have a lot of pressure, and I’m sure a lot of people wonder how I deal with that pressure.
“So if I become an MMA world champion someday, I could give those kind of answers.
“Maybe I can help inspire kids, teenagers, and people that are looking to get into combat sports.
“Dealing with that pressure it’s a normal thing for a fighter, you don’t have to be related to somebody famous to feel that pressure.
“All you have to have is your family and friends watching you compete, and then you feel the pressure.
“A belt gives me credibility, ‘Okay, he’s an MMA world champion, I’m going to listen.'”
Ali Walsh was 17 years old when his granddad passed away in a hospital in Arizona.
He, and the rest of his family, had to change their identities when visiting him due to the media in attendance trying to figure out what was going on.
He hadn’t even made it back to the waiting room after Ali’s passing when it appeared on the news as millions around the world paid their respects.
Ali Walsh was never inspired to get into fighting by his legendary grandfather, but he is hoping to use his MMA career to inspire others, and tell the world he is where he belongs.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( I’m Muhammad Ali’s grandson who never wanted to fight – now I’m an undefeated MMA star chasing world titles to prove I belong )
Also on site :
- NBA Trade News: Jordan Poole-CJ McCollum blockbuster trade clears massive $100 million in cap space for Wizards
- Shocking Nikola Jokic trade scenario isn’t what scares Nuggets: ESPN insider
- Huge boost for snooker fans as free-to-air channel snaps up rights to broadcast major events for first time ever