Muhammad Ali 's grandson Biaggio Ali Walsh picked up his first MMA win by way of a huge knockout in less than a minute.
Walsh, 24, lost his amateur debut earlier this year when he was submitted by Devin Rothwell but bounced back to winning ways by knocking out Bradley Seaver at a Crown Fighting Championship event in Utah. In his biggest fight to date, Walsh stopped Tom Graessar in just 45-seconds at the opening bout of PFL 10 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The grandson-of-a-legend was the aggressor from the opening bell and had Graesser on the backfoot, wobbling him in the first exchange by way of a left hook and right hand. Walsh put together a three-punch combination just moments later that floored Graesser, with referee Keith Peterson waving the fight off after just 45-seconds.
How far can Biaggio Ali Walsh go in MMA? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below
Walsh admitted the pressure of his grandfather's legacy was taking a toll on him before his PFL debut, stating: "The pressure is going to be there but I welcomed it. I wanted to knock him out early on, but anything can happen in the fight. Whether I win it's the first second or third round, it doesn't matter I just want to get the win."
Walsh started training MMA at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas at the start of Covid-19 pandemic, making the career switch to the cage after battling mental health issues following his American football career. The 24-year-old was out of shape and felt lost after ditching American football and he credited MMA for getting him out of a slump.
In a recent interview with Mirror Fighting , Walsh admitted that his parents would have preferred for him and brother Nico - who is a professional boxer - to have taken up tennis or golf instead of combat sports. The win for Walsh is symbolic as it took place at the same arena in which his grandfather had several world titles fights, with his aunt Laila and brother also competing at the same venue.
"My grandfather fought here, my aunt fought here and my brother has fought here twice. It was super important to get the win. That was the only thing that mattered, I focused, I visualised and prayed a lot leading up to the fight. So after I got the win, I almost wasn't surprised because in my head I was here 50 times," Walsh added.
