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Fri, Jan 16, 2026 | Rajab 27, 1447 | Fajr 05:45 | DXB 
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Nico Ali Walsh on extending the Muhammad Ali legacy while carving his own path
From a childhood spent in the arms of his grandfather, the athlete is proving that legacy is earned, not inherited
The moment you see Nico Ali Walsh, you don’t just meet Muhammad Ali’s grandson, you meet a calmly focused, handsome young man carrying one of the most famous surnames in sport.
You could feel that history was in the room, subtle but unmistakable. Even in conversation, he carried himself with a calm authority that belied the weight of his family legacy.
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Nico is the elder of two sons born to Rasheda Ali, Muhammad Ali’s third child. Apart from Ali’s daughter Laila Ali, who carved out her own legacy as a world champion, Nico is the only member of the Ali lineage still stepping between the ropes.
When Ali passed away on June 3, 2016, at the age of 74, having won the world heavyweight title three times and redefined what boxing could represent, Nico was just 16.
As he spoke, his mother, Rasheda, sat beside him, and his father, Robert Walsh, was just a chair away. The setting felt intimate, almost protective, and fitting for a conversation focused on memories, not on fame.
When asked about his memories of his grandfather, Nico replied: “As a child I mostly remember sitting on my Grandfather’s lap. I didn’t really know who he was at that time.”
At that age, how could he? He didn’t yet understand that the man holding him with so much love had survived trilogies with Joe Frazier, dismantled Sonny Liston, outthought George Foreman in the Congo, or reclaimed the heavyweight crown against Leon Spinks. To Nico, Ali was simply family. A warm, kind man.
Family over name
“For me, he’s just my grandfather,” he said. “For everyone else, he’s the greatest boxer ever, a legend. But I see him as family. Every time I get into the ring, I think of him, but I’m also trying to better myself. I’m creating my own legacy while extending his, and I want to make him proud someday.”
Nico turned professional in August 2021, five years after his grandfather’s death. From the moment he debuted, comparisons followed. He wore boxing trunks inspired by those of Ali, and just like his grandfather, he fought under the brightest lights, including Madison Square Garden. The sport wanted a continuation of a myth, and it found one in Nico.
But sitting across from him, what stood out was not just nostalgia; it was the steadfast discipline behind every champion’s journey.
Nico lives a tightly structured life. No nightlife. No distractions. His days revolve around training, prayer, and recovery. It is a chosen lifestyle built on restraint rather than excess. “At the level I want to reach, you can’t have much of a normal social life,” he said. “If I’m not training, I’m home doing nothing. No partying, no drinking, that’s not the life of a champion. My life is training-home, training-home. I feel like I’m living the right way and that’s the way I want it.”
Measured steps, quiet confidence
That approach has shaped his career carefully. His professional record now stands at 12 wins, two losses, and one draw, with five knockouts. Each fight feels like a measured step forward, rather than a leap taken to make headlines or grab attention.
There was no hesitation in his voice. No bravado either. Just a certainty that he is on the right path. Nico is aware of boxing’s theatrical side, the glam, the hype, the need to be seen and to be remembered, but he frames it in his own way.
When asked if he saw himself as a statement fighter, his response was honest and affirmative: “Of course. Every fight, I try to make bigger and bigger statements. It’s not about flashy headlines or quick fame, it’s about each bout being a step in building my own legacy, through discipline and intent.”
His ambitions stretch far and long-term; his focus is clear. “Looking ahead, I want to be the best,” he said. “Someone like Terence Crawford is a hero for me; aside from my grandfather, he’s the one I look up to.”
The comment came as a surprise. In a conversation dominated by references to Muhammad Ali and the weight of his family legacy, Nico singled out Crawford, the undefeated, three-division world champion known for his technical brilliance, calm ring IQ, and disciplined lifestyle, as the boxer he most wants to emulate.
It’s significant because Crawford, in the way Nico hopes to, built his career on merit rather than inheritance.
Hard work yields success
But he is also realistic about the distance between aspiration and achievement. “Honestly, what separates us is just time and experience,” he said. “Crawford is ideal for me to emulate because he doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t party. He’s with his family. I’m the same way. If you can give up that social life, that’s the hardest part. Once you have that discipline, everything else, the belts, the success, the fame, will follow.”
Nico is deliberate about how he navigates himself in the world of modern boxing. He does not chase big names or hype. “I don’t have anyone in mind that I want to call out,” he said. “Opponents come and go. Whoever is in the spot I want to be in, whoever is in my way, that’s who I’ll fight.”
The sweet science endures
“Boxing is winning right now,” he said. “I love MMA, but boxing is the bigger sport; it’s been around longer. Right now, we’re getting great fights, and fans are tuning in. I don’t think boxing needs to change anything.”
Even when the conversation turned to polarising figures like YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, his response was calm and measured rather than reactive. “He’s absurd sometimes,” Nico said. “Fights like him vs. Mike Tyson are disrespectful to boxing. And he knows it. I’d rather he fight regular guys.”
As a Muslim athlete, fighting in the Middle East carried deeper meaning, and Nico felt the weight and the warmth of the crowd in a way that transcended sport. “This is my Middle East debut,” he said. “And as a Muslim, I love fighting in Muslim countries. I love the interest here. I’d like to fight all over the region — Dubai, Qatar, Riyadh, everywhere.”
The day after our conversation, I sat ringside and watched Nico control the tempo, dictate the exchanges, and dismantle Dubai-based Ugandan boxer Jeremiah Sserwadda over six rounds. I could not help but feel that at times, there were moments that reminded me of his legendary grandfather’s style. But this was not imitation. This was evolution. Muhammad Ali was a larger-than-life figure, and Nico was choosing something harder: to build a life and a career of his own.
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