Biaggio Ali Walsh, grandson of the legendary Muhammad Ali, is forging his own path in combat sports, distinct from his grandfather, “The Greatest of All Time”.
Ali Walsh is pursuing a mixed martial arts career, set to compete in PFL on Friday. Unlike his famous grandfather`s outspoken style, Biaggio is developing his MMA skills methodically, taking his career step by step.
Speaking about his motivations, Ali Walsh told Sky Sports, “I got into this sport just wanting to see how far I could go with it. So many different martial arts play a part in a fight and I just loved the idea that a fight`s a fight, you use whatever martial art works best for you.”
His MMA journey began with a challenging loss. He recounted his debut bout: “My first fight was for Fusion Fight League in Montana. I fought a really big dude, a big bald guy. I dropped him like twice and this dude got up. I heard the Terminator theme song in my head. I`m like, `what, this dude won`t go down`. A tough fight. I ended up gassing out and he ended up choking me out by taking me down and grabbing my neck.”
Reflecting on that initial setback, he stated, “But I learned a big lesson that fight. Maybe you should breathe when you fight.”
Despite the defeat, he wasn`t discouraged. “If anything that made me want to fight even more,” he said. “It was a great experience and I took a lot out of it and that was my first fight.”
Muhammad Ali passed away in 2016, prior to Biaggio considering a fighting career. Ali Walsh reflected, “I wish I could go back and ask him a lot more questions now. A great man and a great grandfather too.”
He shared some advice Muhammad Ali gave his brother: “He told my brother to eat healthy, do some roadwork and my brother asked him what makes a fighter and my grandfather told him: `Moving and dancing. That makes a fighter.`”
However, Biaggio doesn`t aim to replicate his legendary grandfather`s style or legacy in the MMA cage.
Ali Walsh elaborated on their contrasting styles: “Even stylistically me and my grandfather are completely different. He liked to move and dance around the ring. It was like poetry in motion almost. The way I fight, I come forward and I`m looking to just bang, so even stylistically me and my grandfather are completely different.”
He also commented on his knockout power: “It doesn`t take much to knock somebody out especially when you`re wearing four ounce of gloves. That`s one of my super powers I think, just being able to touch you and if it`s on the right spot, you might go to sleep.”
He concluded, “I`m here to just show how I like to fight and hopefully everything works out.”
Murray Blackwood