sport news Muhammad Ali's grandson Biaggio Ali Walsh reveals the biggest lesson the iconic ... trends now
Biaggio Ali Walsh, the grandson of legendary heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali - has revealed the biggest lesson he learnt from the iconic fighter, as he sets out to follow his own path in combat sports.
Walsh - who started as an NFL player before changing his plans when the sport was shut down during the pandemic - signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) last September after deciding to go against family tradition and become an MMA fighter.
The 24-year-old, fighting out of Las Vegas, has an amateur record of 3-1-0 and faces Travell Miller on Friday June 16, looking to continue his run of devastating knockouts after stunning fans with a swift KO of Tom Graesser in less than a minute last year.
Living up to Ali's legacy would weigh heavily on any young athlete, and while Walsh admitted he was in awe of Ali growing up and was keen to replicate his power and work outside the ring, he has stressed the need to 'make his own name'.
Ali - widely considered the greatest boxer of all time after becoming world champion on three occasions - passed away aged 74 in 2016.
Biaggio Ali Walsh - the son of Muhammad Ali (right) - has revealed the biggest lessons he has learnt from the legend
Walsh has signed with the Professional Fighters League and wants to forge his own legacy as an MMA fighter
'He was an amazing fighter,' Biaggio told Mail Sport. 'Every time I visited him, I held his hand and I'd think, "Wow, this is the hand that knocked out George Forman, this is crazy". I lot of it is to do with me making my own name and creating my own legacy.
'My grandfather used boxing as a platform to help people. That was why he was so good and why he did so well. He was a humanitarian, he did a lot of charity work, he gave money to the homeless. That's what I want to do.
'If I have enough money from fighting, I want to give back and help my community. People on the streets are at rock bottom. I fight so I can get money to help people like that and change their lives. That's the main reason why I'm fighting.'
Walsh - whose brother Nico is also a fighter, going down the boxing route - said the two were given a key piece of advice from their grandfather when they were children.
'The biggest advice he gave me and my brother was to stay humble,' he added.
'I'm going to take that with me for the rest of my life as my career goes up and I get more exposure. Some people let it get to their heads, but I'll always remember to be humble and in my faith we believe everything is written by God.
Walsh said his grandfather taught him to always be humble and said he would take that with him 'for the rest of my life'
The 24-year-old admitted to being in awe of Ali as he grew up with him and hearing about his stories as a boxer
'[Ali] inspired so many people - so many fighters, so many athletes. His biggest influence is what he did outside the ring that really sealed his legacy. He had true conviction. He was ready to die for what he believed in. He risked his entire career for what he thought was right. You don't see that in athletes.
'In the 60s there was a lot of racism in America and he went past that line. He fought with the US government and he didnt care. He had true conviction and will. That's what made him so important as an athlete and a person.
'If he wasn't my grandfather I would still look up to him and be super inspired by him. Being his grandson makes it seem like he's a superhero. It's a huge inspiration.'
So why, given Walsh's boxing heritage, hasn't he followed his grandfather in lacing up the gloves and climbing into the squared circle?
Walsh insists he was
