24 August 2023 , 14:25
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Biaggio Ali Walsh continued the storied history started by his grandfather Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden last night as he landed his fourth straight PFL knockout.
The 24-year-old was admittedly upset with his performance after grinding through a battle with Ed Davis in his sixth fight as an amateur, and was taken out of the first round for the first time under PFL's banner. With the cameras of ESPN in America and DAZN worldwide on him, he has had to play out his early career under an intense spotlight, and showed the potential struggles early.
Davis was a clear step up in opposition and was able to stand up to his famous power in the first round, allowing himself to get inside and put Ali Walsh to work. And the big moment came with a slice of controversy as he landed a massive three punch combination that appeared to have Davis out in the second.
However, the Maine native immediately protested, arguing that he was in the process of getting up from the knockdown. Amateur rules, particularly in a state like New York where the sport is so young, allow referees less chance to let fights continue than in professionals, likely causing the stoppage.
Ali Walsh was visibly upset by the performance after the fact, celebrating with his mother Rasheda and Public Enemy's Flavor Flav before heading backstage, where he explained his annoyance. "I am a little upset but maybe that shows that I care," he told Mirror Fighting.
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"I don't know, I want to get better and better and better, there's no such thing as a perfect performance but I definitely think I can do better than I did tonight. God works in mysterious ways, this has to have happened in order for me to learn something and I definitely learned something tonight.
What did you think of Nico Ali Walsh's performance last night? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
"I'm going back to Vegas to work on what I have got to learn from and get better at which is what I've got to do. The dude had a solid chin and I knew going into the fight that he was a tough guy, I have power in my shots but he was eating them like a champ and respect to him, I hope he has a great career moving forward.
"To be amateurs performing on a show like PFL on ESPN is great experience and I told him that afterwards, for me and him it's a great experience and we're just going to get better as people and as fighters with these kind of experiences."
Up next for Biaggio is a trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma this weekend to watch his brother Nico compete in his return to the ring as he looks to get back to winning ways. Last time out, the younger sibling drew with Danny Rosenberger in a tight split decision over eight rounds, and now takes on Sona Akale in a six-rounder.