BIAGGIO ALI WALSH debuts in Las Vegas over 40 years after his grandad’s last title fight – and does so ready to leave a mark of his own.
The lightweight amateur MMA prospect, 24, heads into his second bout with the Professional Fighters League on Friday.
But it will be his first in Vegas, where his grandfather Muhammad Ali found so much success.
It was at the Caesars Palace in 1980 that Ali last challenged for the heavyweight title – losing to Larry Holmes.
And over four decades later, grandson Biaggio works security shifts at the famous hotel, daydreaming of following in his grandad’s footsteps.
He said: “I work at Caesars Palace, I work at one of the nightclubs out there.
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“When I’m there, sometimes it crosses my mind like, ‘Wow, my grandfather fought here. It’s a very historical place in the boxing world.
“Sometimes I do feel that. Vegas is obviously the fight capital of the world, it’s my hometown, it’s where I grew up.
“I was born in Chicago but I moved here when I was six. So I grew up here in Vegas and to be able to fight in Vegas is awesome.
“I didn’t think it would come this soon, I thought to myself, ‘When can I fight in Vegas? When can my friends and my local co-workers even come to my fights?’
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“And it’s happening now, so I’m super grateful, super blessed that I get to have this opportunity so soon.”
Biaggio – whose 22-year-old brother Nico is an unbeaten boxer – signed to the PFL last year.
The promotion is MMA’s only seasonal format, consisting of qualification and knockout rounds.
Points are earned per method of victory and the top four in each division progress into the last four stages.
From there it is win-or-go-home, culminating in a finale fight with a $1million cheque and title belt on the line.
Biaggio, not yet a professional, has hopes to one day enter the league but for now focuses on justifying his prime-time undercard spot.
He said: “There’s a lot of pro fighters that don’t get this kind of opportunity.
“So yeah, of course that pressure is there but I am looking to show people that I do have talent, I am born for this.
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“So yeah, I do have something to prove but what makes diamonds is pressure. So bring on all the pressure in the world, I don’t care.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
