Biaggio Ali Walsh was in a dark place just a few years ago. Drinking, drugs and depression led him down a dangerous path. And then he found the family business purpose, combat sports.
Ali Walsh is the grandson of boxer Muhammad Ali.
His aunt, Laila Ali, also made a boxing career in the Hall of Fame. His brother, Nico, is a professional boxer. And now it’s his turn, although he decided to go into mixed martial arts, not the sport of his famous grandfather.
However, the late, great heavyweight champion served as a major inspiration for Ali Walsh, who recently signed an amateur contract with the Professional Boxers Federation and will fight on the PFL World Championship tag. on November 25 in New York.
“He’s been an inspirational figure since I was a kid,” he told Boxing Junkie. “…It was strange that I visited him. On the one hand it’s like, ‘OK, this is my grandfather. “On the other hand, he’s an icon. He’s someone I admire, someone the world admires.
“He’s always been an influential part of my life.”
Biaggio Ali Walsh started late but is confident that he can succeed in mixed martial arts.
Ali Walsh has forged his own path in sports. Fast and physically strong, his passion is football. He was a star when he returned to Bishop Gorman High School in his hometown of Las Vegas and later played at the University of California and UNLV.
When his career ended, however, he didn’t know what might happen next. That’s when he “got lost,” as he put it.
Then he made a fateful decision: He enrolled in Xtreme Couture MMA in Las Vegas, a mixed martial arts school founded by Randy Couture. Ali Walsh’s intention was to stay in shape but he soon found home in the sport he is currently dedicated to.
Why not boxing? He was intrigued by MMA in part well because of the variety of disciplines needed to succeed, which he had always found appealing.
“I went there just to train a little bit,” he said. “The more I go, the more I fall in love with it. I said to myself: ‘Why not?’ I’m still young, I still have a chance. ‘ I don’t want to be 35, 40 years old and wonder if I can be a good boxer.
“So I went into the world of MMA.”
Ali Walsh, 24, has no experience other than occasional street fights. When your name is Ali, he says, some people are forced to fight you. “I love it,” he said with a smile.
However, the world of MMA is a different story. He started late and the learning curve was steep, which he knew would make the effort a tough challenge. He even Googled, “Is it too late to start MMA at 21?”
Well, Ali Walsh (1-1 in his first two amateur games) doesn’t believe he started also so late. He works full-time with coach Dennis Davis and believes he gets better every day.
“I’m going to throw the ball against the wall,” he said. “… Randy Couture started MMA when he was 34 years old. I know this is different but not impossible. If you have the will, you can acquire the skill. I just take it one step at a time.
“I want to get as much experience as I can and only give it to my coach when he thinks I’m ready to go pro.”
What about the pressure of being the grandson of a legend?
That would always slip through him but he got used to it, having lived up to expectations since he first got into the sport as a kid. At the same time, he now feels mixed martial arts is what he was born to do, his destiny. There is power in it.
“Fight,” he said, “is in my blood.”
