TKO invited Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, to discuss the Muhammad Ali Revival Act, which has already passed the House of Representatives and reached the Senate. The 26-year-old, who opposes the act, joined Dana White and company at Zuffa Boxing 09 at Madison Square Garden, where the two sides held talks.

During the broadcast, Ali Walsh joined the event’s broadcaster, Joe Tessitore, to share his thoughts on the discussions with Zuffa Boxing’s stakeholders.

“I’ve been speaking to senators on a weekly basis,” he said. “So we’re just looking. I’m looking to make the changes that will be the best for fighters. No offense. I don’t care about Zuffa. I’m only here for boxing. I’m here for the fighters. Boxing is at its best when they put the fighters first.”

After Ali Walsh made his stance clear, a reporter asked Dana White about his thoughts on the peace summit with the sanctioning bodies and Walsh’s comments. While the UFC boss did provide an answer, he played coy instead of directly addressing the question.

“What do you mean?” White stated during the post-fight press conference. “I don’t know how any of that’s going to play out. I mean, we’re dealing with all that type of stuff on a case-by-case basis. I know he was there.”

From White’s words, it remains unclear what changes Ali Walsh proposed to the Ali Revival Act or how Zuffa plans to find common ground with the existing sanctioning bodies. However, the UFC CEO has already dismissed the peace summit pushed by Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi financier who co-helms Zuffa Boxing alongside White, stating that these guys don’t “matter” to him.

TKO invited Nico Ali Walsh to discuss the Ali Revival Act after the professional boxer showed optimism toward its model and appreciated its simplicity. In fact, he was impressed with Dana White’s vision of providing fighters with minimum pay and health insurance. 

But the 26-year-old’s point of contention became Zuffa’s push to amend the law to create the Unified Boxing Organization (UBO), which would operate without needing approval from the four major sanctioning bodies: WBO, WBC, WBA, and IBF, once the act becomes law.

Walsh believes the amendment could allow Zuffa to create a “monopoly” in boxing, something he feels could ultimately harm fighters.

Due to this reason, Ali Walsh opposed the idea, and it appears the two sides couldn’t find common ground despite the proposed changes. Addressing the situation, Muhammad Ali’s grandson spoke about how he’s fighting a massive organization like Zuffa all by himself.

Nico Ali Walsh on fighting alone with Zuffa to preserve the Muhammad Ali Act  

For a while, Nico Ali Walsh has emerged as a leading opponent of the Muhammad Ali Revival Act, repeatedly voicing his concerns about the legislation. And even if he has to fight for changes alone, Ali’s grandson remains determined to continue until he believes fighters’ rights are properly protected.

“I’ve been fighting alone on a hill,” Ali Walsh said during the Zuffa Boxing broadcast. “It feels like I’ve been dying on my own with just me and my team. Nobody’s really been helping me with this. I’ve been getting the cold shoulder from boxing. But, you know, it’s something that I just truly believe in, and I’m not going to stop until I feel what’s right is done.”

However, Ali Walsh isn’t entirely alone in his effort to preserve the original Muhammad Ali Act. In April, he created the Ali Act Preservation Alliance alongside WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman and Oscar De La Hoya, with more than 30 other boxing figures backing the initiative.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has also expressed his disdain for the Revival Act, even calling Dana White a “cancer” to boxing. With several prominent names opposing the legislation, Ali Walsh clearly has support in his fight against Zuffa’s push for the Act.

The bill now sits with the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which has not set a date for its next vote. Should it clear the Senate in its current form, it would head to President Donald Trump’s desk, and White’s close relationship with the president is widely seen as a factor that could work in the bill’s favor. For Ali Walsh, that leaves the fight he described as a lonely one still very much unresolved, with no indication yet of whether his push for changes to the UBO provision will make it into whatever version the Senate eventually considers.