Born on September 4th, 1998, Biaggio Ali Walsh is an upcoming star in the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Usually, fighters who are still in the amateur circuits, are not in the headlines. However, Biaggio is not just any other youngster who is struggling to cut it into the big leagues. As his surname may suggest, Biaggio Ali Walsh is a direct relative of boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
Muhammad Ali is not just a legend, he is perhaps the most famous boxer to ever grace the ring. Not just for in-ring achievement, Ali is also a very important and relevant figure for his political stances throughout his career. The name Ali signifies royalty in boxing. His daughter, Laila Ali, went undefeated in her career and carried on the “Ali” legacy even further!
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Hence, it is hard to imagine a fighting member of the Ali family not in the boxing ring. Although his brother Nico Walsh is a professional boxer, Biaggio Ali Walsh is taking a different path. He aspires to be an MMA fighter and wants to achieve big things.
Why did Biaggio Ali Walsh choose MMA instead of boxing?
Recently, Biaggio Ali Walsh spoke to Boxing Junkie about his decision. Obviously, Walsh mentioned his larger-than-life grandfather Muhammad Ali. Although he revealed that Ali was a huge source of inspiration for him, Biaggio was in awe of the late boxer.
“He’s been an inspirational figure since I was a kid… It was weird when I would visit him. On one hand it was like, ‘OK, this is my grandfather… on the other hand he was an icon. He was someone I looked up to, someone the world looked up to… he’s just always been an influential part of my life.” (h/t via MMA Junkie)
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However, the 24-year-old was not even contemplating a career in combat sports. Instead, Biaggio was trying to make a name for himself in the world of football. He played for Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, the University of California, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. During his playing days, Biaggio was a running back. But, the glory did not last long as his playing days came to an end.
He went into a downward spiral after that and as Walsh, himself described, “got lost” after his footballing career did not have the ending that he thought it would. However, that is when Walsh found the MMA gym Xtreme Couture. Biaggio also revealed that former UFC heavyweight champ Randy Couture is his MMA idol. He also does not think it is too late to start his MMA career at 24.
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“I went there just to train a little bit… the more and more I went I slowly fell in the 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 whether I could’ve been a good fighter. So I dived into the world of MMA.”
“I’m going balls to the wall… Randy Couture started MMA when he was 34. I know this is different but it’s not impossible. If you have the will, you can get the skill. I’m just taking it a step at a time,” said Ali Walsh.
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Biaggio Ali Walsh is currently under contract with Professional Fighters League (PFL). However, Walsh is not ready to turn pro just yet. He is currently going under full-time training with his coach Dennis Davis and wants his coach to decide the perfect time for him to turn pro. So, can he succeed in the sport of MMA and deal with the rigorous training? Walsh summed it up perfectly and added, “fighting is in my blood.”
What is Biaggio Ali Walsh’s MMA record?
Biaggio Ali Walsh is not a heavyweight similar to his grandfather Muhammad Ali. Walsh fights at lightweight. His first amateur MMA fight was in June 2022. But, his debut was at welterweight and he fought Devin Rothwell. Unfortunately for Biaggio, he lost the bout via second-round rear-naked choke submission.
The prospect soon turned his career around against Bradley Seaver in August 2022. For his second amateur fight, Biaggio moved down to lightweight and had instant success. He knocked out Seaver in the first round. Ali Walsh last fought in November 2022 and defeated Tom Graesser in only 45 seconds via knockout. He currently holds an amateur MMA record of 2-1.
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