Biaggio Ali Walsh has told Jake Paul to fight someone his own size after yet another fight offer to a much smaller opponent.
The PFL lightweight is 1-0 as a professional, and is famously the grandson of boxing icon Muhammad Ali. His brother Nico is a 10-1 professional in boxing, with both of the brothers fighting in the region of 155-157lb.
However, cruiserweight contender Paul who tipped the scales at 200lb for his last outing with Mike Perry, has been keen to fight the elder Ali Walsh sibling. He has even offered a two-fight deal to face Nico in the ring and Biaggio in the cage, but both have turned down big money deals.
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Nico Ali Walsh turned down $3million offer to fight Jake Paul
Ahead of his latest win over Sona Akale, Nico Ali Walsh claims to have been offered a massive multi-million-dollar purse in order to fight Jake Paul. However, he opted against it in the name of maintaining his surname’s legendary status.
“Before this fight I denied a multimillion-dollar contract from MVP Promotions to fight Jake Paul,” he said during his last Top Rank brodcast. “I’m fighting a real fighter tonight. So, I’m not part of that circus league of boxing. This is the real league of boxing. This is what I’m going to do.’’
Earlier in his interview, he said: “I just want everyone to know that I chose the path of boxing. I chose the path of legacy. If I wanted to I could be a millionaire right now.”
Biaggio Ali Walsh tells Jake Paul to fight someone at his own weight
Now, Nico’s brother Biaggio Ali Walsh has confirmed this offer to Bloody Elbow, saying that he feels the YouTube star should be facing opponents his own size. Paul infamously faces MMA fighters in the boxing ring, and tends to take on former welterweights and lightweights despite weighing around 200lb.
“Just fight somebody your own size. I don’t really understand calling out people that are smaller than you,” he said. “Even when he fought Mike Perry, he had the size advantage. Mike is a stud, though. He’s a bare-knuckle boxer and did his run in different MMA organisations.
“He’s a standup guy. I still give credit where credit’s due, Jake beat him, beat [Anderson] Silva, beat [Nate] Diaz, all these guys. But I think that the fans would like to see him fight a boxer that’s his size. His marketing is next level too, you’ve got to give credit where credit’s due.”
Biaggio Ali Walsh wants to forge his own legacy before celebrity fights
In Biaggio’s case, he is more interested in becoming a big name with a solid record in the cage, as opposed to concerning himself with celebrities. He has had some less concrete offers like the one Paul made, but is building his record starting with a second pro fight tonight on ESPN under the PFL banner.
“I look at that as kind of later in my career” Biaggio said of potential celebrity crossover bouts. “Maybe I do some exhibitions or something like that, kind of like Floyd’s doing. But before Floyd started doing that he had a whole entire boxing career and that’s what I’m trying to do.
“I’m trying to have an MMA career where I fight legit, MMA, professional trained killers and then once I’m done with my MMA career who knows? Maybe I do a boxing exhibition. I don’t know what the future holds, I just go with the flow. It’s still in consideration but for later on.”
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