Muhammad Ali's grandson Nico eyes UK debut fight after being inspired by Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn classic
Middleweight reveals why he has walked a very similar path
AL BE HONEST Muhammad Ali's grandson Nico eyes UK debut fight after being inspired by Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn classic
NICO ALI WALSH is dreaming of fighting in the UK - having been left in awe at Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn's thriller.
Eubank beat Benn in their middleweight grudge match at Tottenham after 12 brutally classic rounds.
Advertisement
3
Muhammad Ali's grandson Nico with Chris Eubank Jr
Credit: X
3
Eubank beat Conor Benn at Tottenham
Credit: Getty
The pair of nepo babies somehow managed to match the thriller their father's treated fans to 35 years ago.
And it inspired Ali Walsh - grandson to boxing's Greatest Muhammad Ali - to live up to his iconic surname.
He told SunSport: 'I love Eubank. He's an awesome dude and then the fight, I mean, just a quick side note, the fight that him and Conor Benn put on was absolutely amazing.
'They put it on for, not just boxing fans, but they put it on for the kids who come from legacy, the kids who come from backgrounds where their family has done something before them. They put it on for all of us. So yeah, that was amazing."
Advertisement
READ MORE IN boxing
MIKE DROP I'm related to the greatest boxer ever but changed my name to make my own way
Eubank fell out with his eccentric dad Chris Sr after trying to walk his own path in the sport.
But the two emotionally reconciled on the night of his fight with Benn - which helped inspire the iconic victory.
Eubank Sr never wanted his son to follow in his footsteps - and infamously banned him until Lennox Lewis helped convince him otherwise.
Reality TV cameras captured the moment Lewis talked Eubank Sr into allowing his 13-year-old son to box - paving the way for Jr's career.
Advertisement
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
Ali Walsh had a similar fight on his hands with his parents - and revealed it was his grandad who helped get him the green light.
He said: "My situation was a lot like that where I was trying to convince my parents.
Muhammad Ali's grandson Nico tried to hide his famous surname before Mike Tyson blew his cover
"My grandfather was on board 100 per cent from the start, but I was trying to convince my parents to get on board.'
Advertisement
Ali Walsh is now 15 fights into his career since turning professional in 2021, winning 12 times, losing twice with one no-contest.
As an amateur, he had 30 bouts and tried to keep his surname a secret until Mike Tyson showed up to one of his fights and blew his cover.
Ali Walsh returned with victory in Guinea against Ebenezer Sowah in May after a shock loss to Juan Carlos Guerra Jr in February.
The middleweight has twice fought in Africa - 50 years after his grandfather's famous Rumble in The Jungle win against George Foreman in Congo.
Advertisement
Ali fought all around the world, including England and now Ali Walsh is desperate to do the same.
He said: 'Let me tell you something, if I fight in the UK, if I get told that I'm fighting in the UK, that would change my life.
'That's the one place on earth I've always wanted to fight. Seriously, London or anywhere in the UK.
'The boxing fans in the UK are better than anywhere on Earth. They're better than here in Vegas and Vegas is the capital of the world for boxing but I would love to fight there.'
Advertisement
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Defending my spot' – Oban Elliott driven by fear of return to life before Dana White issued UFC deal ahead of Baku bout
The Welshman has gone a perfect 3-0 inside the octagon GANGSTER'S PARADISE 'Defending my spot' – Oban Elliott driven by fear of return to life before Dana White issued UFC deal ahead of Baku bout Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) OBAN ELLIOT may have established himself as a mainstay in the UFC, but the Welsh welterweight is refusing to rest on his laurels. 2024 was a year to remember for the pride of Wales, who fulfilled his lifelong dream of competing in the promised land of mixed martial arts. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Life has been plain sailing for Welshman Oban Elliott since he won a UFC contract on the Contenders Series Credit: GETTY 8 The 27-year-old made his octagon bow last February and has been on a tear Credit: GETTY 8 The Welshman went a perfect 3-0 in the space of nine busy months Credit: GETTY 8 But he's refusing to rest on his laurels as he fears returning to the life he lived before making it to the big show Credit: GETTY And he entered the promotion with a bang, going a perfect 3-0 in just under nine life-changing months. Elliott, who is poised to make an assault on the top 15 this year, has come a long way from working night shift on the railways in Merthyr Tydfil and cleaning the grill at Nando's to pay the bills and supplement his training. His feet may be firmly in the UFC door, but the fear of one day having to return to the life he worked so hard to escape is as much his driving force as winning a world title. In an exclusive interview with SunSport, 'The Welsh Gangster' said: "I'm just so glad it worked out, man. I'm so glad. "And just for me, it just meant that much more, you know? To get here and do it. I didn't care for anything else, I didn't. "There was nothing else that interested me in life. And that's probably dark when you look like that, but it worked out. "When I got that UFC contract is when I relaxed and when I could smile without something in the back of my head saying, 'Yeah, but you're not there yet.' "And now I'm like, 'No, I'm here. I'm home. And just the fact that it all worked out, thank f***ing God. It just meant that much to me." JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 8 Oban Elliott scored the biggest win of his career against Bassil Hafez at UFC 309 last November Credit: GETTY 8 The stunning stoppage at MSG is one of the proudest moments of Elliott's life to date Credit: GETTY The memory of working on the railways and at Nando's is still fresh for Elliott, who believes he already has a belt adorned on him as a result of all the blood, sweat and tears he's shed trying to achieve his dream. "To be settled in and to be living this life now, it's a new challenge in itself," Elliott candidly admitted. "Because now I just think about defending it." Brit UFC star Oban Elliot explains how working nightshift on railway tracks fortified his mindset He continued: "I'm just thinking about defending my spot. There's a belt over my shoulder and I'm defending my belt every fight. "Every training session, I'm defending my belt and that is it. "And maybe somewhere along the line, Dana is gonna wrap another one around me. But I will always have my one. "That's the way I see all of this. So it's just a case of defending this spot and defending this life that I now live." The highlight of Elliott's UFC career came at Madison Square Garden last November in the form of a beautifully set-up third-round knockout of Bassil Hafez. And that moment, which earned the 27-year-old a life-changing $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, will likely only be topped when he becomes the undisputed king of the welterweights. "To get that knockout was just the best moment ever," Elliot said. "For me, everything that I wanted in life happened in that third round. "That little fake with my feet going outside of his right leg, throwing the shot and there he was, right in the middle of the Monster can. it's just a case of defending this spot and defending this life that I now live." Oban Elliot "And I look up. The cry was going nuts, the pose. 'Who's the man in New York City, brother?' "How lucky am I? That's how I feel. That is just unreal. Like, look at that. Jesus Christ, that happened to me. "I've heard people say, 'You work hard for this?' People work hard for things and they fall short of their dreams and it happens to people. "But in that moment, in the cage that night, all my hard work paid off. And I got that for the rest of my life. So I'm the proudest guy ever." Elliott's latest outing will take place this evening in a land far, far away from Merthyr Tydfil - Baku. Fellow Dana White's Contenders Series contract winner Seok-hyeon Ko stands between Elliott and a four-fight win streak. And if he notches it in similarly spectacular fashion as he did his last victory, it will put him on the precipice of tangling with the elite of the talent-rich 170lbs division. "This guy is a tough, tough man," Elliot said of the South Korean. " And he's coming to win. 8 Oban Elliott returns to the octagon on Saturday night for a showdown with South Korea's Seok-Hyeon Ko Credit: Getty 8 A win in the Baku bust-up will see Elliott move to a perfect 4-0 inside the octagon Credit: GETTY "And he is going to come to fight. Take the UFC out and take the nonsense out of all of it, this is a man versus a man who are going to fight to the death in the cage. "He has all my respect, all my attention and it's going to be a tough fight for both of us. "May we get out of their cage healthy, and the better man will win. "I think the better guy is me, so we'll see if I'm wrong." He added: "After this fight, [I want to get] two more [fights in] hopefully and keep my imaginary belt over my shoulder. "The belt that I had before I even put the gloves on - in my mind. "In my mind, I've been a champion long before any of this came to light in my life. "So I'm just [going to] keep defending my spot, keep making my family proud and keep doing my best. And if I'm doing that, I'm winning." Catch Oban Elliott this weekend at UFC® FIGHT NIGHT: HILL vs. ROUNTREE JR on TNT Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
‘Defending my spot' – Oban Elliott driven by fear of return to life before Dana White issued UFC deal ahead of Baku bout
OBAN ELLIOT may have established himself as a mainstay in the UFC, but the Welsh welterweight is refusing to rest on his laurels. 2024 was a year to remember for the pride of Wales, who fulfilled his lifelong dream of competing in the promised land of mixed martial arts. 8 8 8 8 And he entered the promotion with a bang, going a perfect 3-0 in just under nine life-changing months. Elliott, who is poised to make an assault on the top 15 this year, has come a long way from working night shift on the railways in Merthyr Tydfil and cleaning the grill at Nando's to pay the bills and supplement his training. His feet may be firmly in the UFC door, but the fear of one day having to return to the life he worked so hard to escape is as much his driving force as winning a world title. In an exclusive interview with SunSport, 'The Welsh Gangster' said: "I'm just so glad it worked out, man. I'm so glad. "And just for me, it just meant that much more, you know? To get here and do it. I didn't care for anything else, I didn't. "There was nothing else that interested me in life. And that's probably dark when you look like that, but it worked out. "When I got that UFC contract is when I relaxed and when I could smile without something in the back of my head saying, 'Yeah, but you're not there yet.' "And now I'm like, 'No, I'm here. I'm home. And just the fact that it all worked out, thank f***ing God. It just meant that much to me." JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 8 8 The memory of working on the railways and at Nando's is still fresh for Elliott, who believes he already has a belt adorned on him as a result of all the blood, sweat and tears he's shed trying to achieve his dream. "To be settled in and to be living this life now, it's a new challenge in itself," Elliott candidly admitted. "Because now I just think about defending it." Brit UFC star Oban Elliot explains how working nightshift on railway tracks fortified his mindset He continued: "I'm just thinking about defending my spot. There's a belt over my shoulder and I'm defending my belt every fight. "Every training session, I'm defending my belt and that is it. "And maybe somewhere along the line, Dana is gonna wrap another one around me. But I will always have my one. "That's the way I see all of this. So it's just a case of defending this spot and defending this life that I now live." The highlight of Elliott's UFC career came at Madison Square Garden last November in the form of a beautifully set-up third-round knockout of Bassil Hafez. And that moment, which earned the 27-year-old a life-changing $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, will likely only be topped when he becomes the undisputed king of the welterweights. "To get that knockout was just the best moment ever," Elliot said. "For me, everything that I wanted in life happened in that third round. "That little fake with my feet going outside of his right leg, throwing the shot and there he was, right in the middle of the Monster can. it's just a case of defending this spot and defending this life that I now live." Oban Elliot "And I look up. The cry was going nuts, the pose. 'Who's the man in New York City, brother?' "How lucky am I? That's how I feel. That is just unreal. Like, look at that. Jesus Christ, that happened to me. "I've heard people say, 'You work hard for this?' People work hard for things and they fall short of their dreams and it happens to people. "But in that moment, in the cage that night, all my hard work paid off. And I got that for the rest of my life. So I'm the proudest guy ever." Elliott's latest outing will take place this evening in a land far, far away from Merthyr Tydfil - Baku. Fellow Dana White 's Contenders Series contract winner Seok-hyeon Ko stands between Elliott and a four-fight win streak. And if he notches it in similarly spectacular fashion as he did his last victory, it will put him on the precipice of tangling with the elite of the talent-rich 170lbs division. "This guy is a tough, tough man," Elliot said of the South Korean. " And he's coming to win. 8 8 "And he is going to come to fight. Take the UFC out and take the nonsense out of all of it, this is a man versus a man who are going to fight to the death in the cage. "He has all my respect, all my attention and it's going to be a tough fight for both of us. "May we get out of their cage healthy, and the better man will win. "I think the better guy is me, so we'll see if I'm wrong." He added: "After this fight, [I want to get] two more [fights in] hopefully and keep my imaginary belt over my shoulder. "The belt that I had before I even put the gloves on - in my mind. "In my mind, I've been a champion long before any of this came to light in my life. "So I'm just [going to] keep defending my spot, keep making my family proud and keep doing my best. And if I'm doing that, I'm winning."
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Galal Yafai reveals beatdowns he took from his older champion brothers knocked him into the fighter he is today
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GALAL YAFAI reveals the beatdowns he took from his champion older brothers knocked him into the fighter he is today. Yafai grew up as the youngest boxer in the household and admits it was constant civil war at home between older siblings Gamal and Kal. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Gamal Yafai with brothers Galal and Kal Credit: Getty 4 Kal was former WBA champion Credit: Jamie McPhilimey - The Sun 4 Gamal was European champion Credit: matchroom boxing He told SunSport: "My mum would come in screaming and shouting, we'd always end up fighting but I knew my place when you're like ten years old or nine years old. "Two-three years is a big difference. When they were 13-14 years old and I'm only just 10, it's a big jump. So yeah, I knew my position. I used to get beaten up on a little bit!" Despite taking his fair share of brotherly blows, Yafai admits the real wars came between Kal and Gamal. He said: "They were closer in age and I think they felt sorry for me a little bit because I was a little bit smaller than them. read more in boxing GAME ROVER I worked at a Land Rover factory but hated it so much it inspired Olympic dream "They had the real big fights and my mum used to come out shouting and it was kind of like hillbilly style. It kind of helped us to get where we got to. "Kal was always better than me, Gamal was always bigger and better so I don't think I ever got the better of everyone really. "I could hold my own, well I could hold my own when I got a bit older, but I think they took it easy on me. "But they always helped me anyway, it helped in my career." CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Yafai trained as a teenager and watched his older brothers become amateur champions - later replicating that success in the professional ranks. The youngest of the pack only began boxing again at 18 but by 2021 he was Olympic champion after packing in his job working in a Land Rover factory. Boxing icon Tyson Fury spotted posing topless in Scots town as he chats with locals Now he is undefeated and 9-0 as a pro - meanwhile ex-world champ Kal, 36, is retired and Gamal, 33, now coaches the younger generation. But Yafai - who returns on Saturday against Francisco Rodriguez Jr in a bid to earn a shot at WBC and WBO champ Kenshiro Teraji - doubts brother Gamal will be part of his corner team - preferring he remains just a fan for now. He said: "My coach Rob McCracken sorts all that out and I just like my brothers being there. They help me just being there and showing me support and having my back. "My brother Kal's been in my corner before as like a second in America. But as long as Rob's in my corner and my brothers are there supporting me, yeah, I'm happy."
