Muhammad Ali’s legacy lives on through his grandsons as Biaggio Ali Walsh is now the latest to step onto a combat surface.
At Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, Ali Walsh (2-0) picked up the first stoppage of his MMA career by flooring a debuting Brian Stapleton in just 55 seconds.
The fight served as the main card opener of 2024 PFL Playoffs 2.
Biaggio Ali Walsh delivers a rocket straight to the dome and gets a quick 1st round stoppage!
Ali Walsh racked up five stoppages under the PFL banner as an amateur. His first professional bout took place in February, going the distance with Emanuel Palacio. However, he returned to his knockout ways on Friday, folding Stapleton with a vicious right hand.
Something he picked up by watching his grandfather.
“Stylistically, my grandfather had such a stinging jab,” Ali Walsh said in an interview with The Associated Press in 2023.
“He really used his jab to set up a bunch of stuff and I think that one of the biggest things that I pick up from him is how he sets up his right hand using his jabs, or he sets up other combos using the jab.”
That right hand has served Ali Walsh well so far. Just a side note, his godfather is Flavor Flav and he’s often at the fights rooting for Biaggio, 25, who appears to have great potential.
The son of Rasheda Ali is taking a different trek into combat than his legendary grandfather by becoming a mixed martial arts fighter. In June 2022, he strapped on the fingerless gloves for his debut fight, an amateur bout on FITE TV, where he faced Devin Rothwell at Fusion Fight League’s Rumble Under The Rim at First Interstate Arena in Billings, Montana.
He lost that grapple but has not tasted defeat since through six more amateur fights and two pro bouts.
Float Like A Butterfly. Sting Like A Bee
“I just want my grandfather’s legacy to stay in combat sports,” Ali Walsh said. “Whenever I have kids, I’m not going to ask them to do it but this is my job, this is my choice. I’m a fighter.”
MMA fighter Biggio Ali Walsh, grandson of Muhammad Ali, won his second pro fight in 55 seconds. Ali Walsh joins his brother, Nico Ali Walsh, 22, in the family trade. Nico is already 11-1 as a professional boxer with five knockouts.
Biaggio has a tattoo of a butterfly on one arm and a bee on another to honor his late grandfather’s famous phrase, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”
Ali Walsh joins his brother, Nico Ali Walsh, 22, in the family trade. Nico is already 11-1 as a professional boxer with five knockouts. He fights under the Top Rank banner and has been featured on ESPN under Top Rank’s exclusive deal and has fought on the undercard of major boxing events involving Shakur Stevenson and Vasyl Lomachenko.
Nico won his last fight, avenging his only loss to Sona Akale on June 29 by a gutsy unanimous-decision victory, as he battled a dislocated shoulder in the six-round bout at the James L. Knight Center in Miami Beach.
Biaggio and Nico: The Ali Legacy Extension
Now his older brother, Biaggio, 25, is bucking the squared circle to jump into the cage and forge his path along the legendary Ali corridor.
“If there were two turtles fighting on TV, Nico and I would watch; we love fighting,” Biaggio continued. “We don’t train together; Nico does his own thing, and I do mine.”
Muhammad Ali was world-renowned as “The Greatest” boxer ever due to his charisma, early career success, iconic moments for the sport, and polarizing social justice and anti-war stance. Formerly known as Cassius Clay, Ali was the first Black athlete of his era to align with the Nation of Islam publicly and convert to becoming a Muslim.
As Ali’s grandkids were growing up, inevitably people would inquire about the boys’ fighting abilities.
“People would find out who me and Nico were related to and they’d say, ‘Oh, can you fight?” Ali Walsh said. “And I’m like, ’I don’t know.’”
Combat in the ring wasn’t Biaggio’s thing. He liked to mix it up on the gridiron. He was a running back at powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, where he scored 65 touchdowns and rushed for more than 4,500 yards on teams that went 45-0 and won three consecutive Nevada state championships from 2014-16. He then spent two seasons at California before transferring back to UNLV to play for his high school coach.
He did, however, have an idea that he could throw his hands, although his grandfather’s body was already on the way out due to his battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Ali wasn’t able to teach his grandson much as their time was spent going to dinner and the movies.
Biaggio says he used to study old film of his grandfather’s legendary exploits and once described a situation where he discovered at a young age that he had hands too.
“He just kept running his mouth, telling me he wants to box me and stuff, ‘Ali’s grandkid, let’s box,’ and I kept saying no, no, no because I was kind of intimidated,” Biaggio said. “The dude was a senior. Like, he’s talking down on a 14-year-old. I was kind of intimidated, I don’t want to box, I’m tired. And then obviously the crowd peer pressured me, so I put the gloves on and just freaking whupped his (behind). It was fun.”
Biaggio’s attempt at MMA is impressive, considering he never even wrestled in high school and had to learn every aspect of his new sport.
Family Ties: MMA Provides New Direction For Ali Walsh
After his retirement, Muhammad Ali became a global symbol, and even in death, his impact on humanity transcends sports entertainment. His daughter Laila Ali, Ali Walsh’s aunt, followed her father, becoming the WBC, WBA, IWBF and IBA super middleweight champion over her undefeated career.
However, Biaggio is making his way without the guidance of his famous fighting aunt.
“Laila didn’t give me any advice, but her husband Curtis (Conway) has,” Biaggio said. “He used to be a professional football player, and that’s what I was trying to do before MMA.”
“After college football I felt very lost and didn’t like where my life was heading. Pursuing MMA makes me feel more emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally positive,” he added.
Since then, Biaggio took up residence at the Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas, training in one of the best MMA gyms in the world. It is owned by UFC Hall of Famer Randy “The Natural” Couture.
With both Nico and now Biaggio trading leather against people who are undoubtedly coming for their name, he is trying to become a champion one day while not stressing out his mother.
