Nico Ali Walsh fought changes to the law bearing his grandfather’s name. Now he’s calling Zuffa Boxing a “blessing in disguise.” Fans who backed his opposition may wonder how he got from one position to the other.
Nico’s explanation is that Dana White gave traditional boxing a common enemy. In an interview, he argued that promoters who once kept their distance began pulling together when Zuffa arrived.
“Zuffa entering boxing was the biggest blessing in disguise because they entered boxing, everyone hated them, right? People probably still do. And they became the villain. They became the villain so much so that everyone in boxing kind of banded together with a common enemy,” said Nico to Fight Hub TV.
It’s a punchy line. The trouble is the timeline. Matchroom and Queensberry were already working together on Riyadh Season cards before Zuffa became the opponent Nico describes. Their 5 vs 5 event took place in June 2024. Turki Alalshikh’s funding brought rival promoters to the same table; Zuffa cannot take credit for starting that cooperation.
Nico also points to promoters sharing DAZN as evidence that boxing is coming together. That makes fights easier to find, which fans can appreciate. It doesn’t mean those promoters will readily agree on purses, billing, or whose fighter takes the tougher opponent. Putting shows on one app is easier than making the fights people have spent years requesting.
His comments carry extra weight because he opposed the original Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act proposal. Nico says he worked with Senators Jacky Rosen and Ted Cruz on a revised bill and met TKO executive Nick Khan with his manager. He now supports the legislation, citing changes to UBO contracts, financial disclosures and rankings. The bill has advanced out of the Senate Commerce Committee; it has not become law.
Nico says people accused him of flipping as soon as he endorsed the revised bill. He insists the changes won him over. Still, the optics are hard to miss: Muhammad Ali’s grandson testified against a proposal he believed misused his grandfather’s name, met privately with a TKO executive, and emerged as a supporter of the Senate version. His endorsement gives the bill a powerful public defender. The test is in the final text and what it lets fighters do when they want to leave a UBO, challenge a ranking, or see the money from their fights.
Villegas told Nico that people would clip the “blessing in disguise” remark. Nico knew they would. The full answer makes his reasoning clear, but it also exposes its weak spot: boxing’s biggest promoters were already crossing promotional lines when Riyadh Season made it worth their while. Calling Zuffa the force that united them gives Dana White credit for a fight night someone else paid to stage.