Professional boxer Nico Ali Walsh, grandson of the legendary Muhammad Ali, testified before the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Wednesday, opposing a bill that bears his family name.
Walsh appeared alongside former champion Oscar De La Hoya to speak out against the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, a bill that passed the House of Representatives by voice vote in March 2026.
Walsh did not hold back in his criticism of the proposal, framing it as an erosion of the hard-won protections established by the original Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000.
Watch his full speech here (via BOXING n BBQ on X):
Ali Walsh’s Argument
"The Ali Act was built on a simple principle," Walsh told the committee. "The people controlling fighters should not also control the entire marketplace that those fighters depend on."
The new bill seeks to amend the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 to allow for the creation of Unified Boxing Organizations (UBOs). But Walsh painted the UBO model as a step toward monopolization.
He argued that it replicates the UFC's structure, which has faced intense criticism and a massive antitrust settlement over fighter pay suppression.
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Walsh believes the new legislation would allow a UBO, potentially backed by TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of UFC and WWE, to operate a closed-loop system where one entity controls promotion, rankings, championship belts, and matchmaking.
"This type of centralized system already exists in mixed martial arts, particularly in the UFC,” Walsh noted. “Boxing is not broken. If it were, UFC champions at the height of their careers would not be actively targeting boxing fights because of the fair pay.”
His testimony cited the well-documented revenue split for UFC fighters, whose share is estimated at around 20% or less, while claiming that boxers reach up to 80% of the revenue.
New Bill's Safety Measures
While Walsh condemned the structural changes to the business of boxing, he did acknowledge that the bill contains some upgrades to fighter health and safety protocols.
The Revival Act mandates new national medical standards, including annual brain MRIs or neurological exams, EKGs, and comprehensive blood work for all professional boxers, regardless of whether they join a UBO.
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It also establishes a national minimum payment of $200 per round and requires $50,000 in medical coverage for injuries sustained during a bout.
The fight against the bill seems to be less about the medical enhancements and entirely focused on preserving the promoter-fighter dynamic that has defined the sport for the last quarter-century.
Walsh conceded that health and safety additions are welcome, but still argued that such improvements should not come at the cost of fighters' bargaining rights and economic freedom. He argued that many of the safety measures in the current system have worked for him, citing a specific example in his career in which he suffered a shoulder injury in the ring.
“The current system ensured that I received immediate medical attention and proper care throughout my recovery,” he said. “Protection should be strengthened, especially around health and safety, but not used as justification to restructure the sport in a way that removes power from fighters.”
The Fight Ahead
Despite Walsh's testimony, the path forward for the bill remains largely unobstructed in the political arena. Having already cleared the House with massive bipartisan support, the bill now resides in the Senate.
Walsh's most notable statement was not merely a policy critique but a defense of a family name synonymous with integrity.
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"The bill that the House has passed should not be adopted... If this bill is passed in its current form, it should not have my grandfather's name on it, as it would betray the principles his Act was created to protect," Walsh stated firmly.
