Former UFC champion Sean Strickland trained alongside Biaggio Ali Walsh for approximately four years at the Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas before he recently discovered the identity of Ali Walsh`s famous grandfather.
Strickland, known for his outspoken personality and status as a former UFC champion, is a prominent figure at the Las Vegas gym where the 26-year-old Ali Walsh developed his skills from amateur to professional. Now, Ali Walsh competes in the PFL and is scheduled to return to the cage on June 27 in Chicago.
Strickland`s Delayed Realization
It is a widely known fact not just about Biaggio but also his brother Nico Ali Walsh that they are the grandsons of boxing icon Muhammad Ali. However, Strickland apparently didn`t notice this until just recently when he inquired about his teammate`s family history.
Despite years of training together and developing something of a friendship in Las Vegas, they weren`t close enough for Strickland to be aware of his teammate’s famous surname, or perhaps understand the significance of Ali Walsh fighting on ESPN as an amateur.
“Sean talks a lot of trash,” Biaggio Ali Walsh shared in an exclusive interview. “In fact, we were literally done sparring yesterday [Tuesday] and he came up to me and he’s like ‘you’re Muhammad Ali’s grandson?’”
Ali Walsh continued, “I said ‘Sean you didn’t know that? Doesn’t the boxing make sense.’ He started smiling and thought it was really cool… I’m in the PFL and I’m an amateur, that doesn’t really happen, right? I thought it was kind of funny. Xtreme Couture has got a lot of cool guys.”
Biaggio Ali Walsh`s PFL Journey
Biaggio Ali Walsh was signed to the PFL in 2022 after having just two amateur fights, providing him with a significant platform to compete while honing his skills. He had five amateur bouts under the PFL banner before transitioning to the professional ranks last year.
Currently holding a professional record of 2-0, Ali Walsh is set to face Ronnie Gibbs when he competes in his hometown of Chicago on June 27.
Reflecting on performing under pressure, Ali Walsh explained, “I always felt like I was the best under pressure… That pressure is where I think I’m forced to be the best version of myself.”
He acknowledged the increasing stakes: “That’s how I deal with it, but it’s going to get worse… My third amateur fight was at Madison Square Garden as the curtain raiser for the world tournament for PFL, I can’t even tell you how scared I was for that.”
Ali Walsh attributes his ability to handle the big stage to divine help and his prior experience playing football for Bishop Gorman high school in Las Vegas, which accustomed him to lights and cameras.
