Nico Ali Walsh: Muhammad Ali's grandson ready to avenge only pro loss in Sona Akale rematch

Nico Ali Walsh hopes to take inspiration from his late grandfather Muhammad Ali to guide him to a redemption victory over Sona Akale this weekend, live on Sky Sports.

Ali Walsh suffered his first professional loss when Akale beat him by majority decision last summer in a close contest, with the two now clashing again on the undercard of Teofimo Lopez's WBO super-lightweight title showdown with Steve Claggett.

The 23-year-old has won his two fights since that defeat and now wants to emulate his grandfather - who famously defeated Joe Fraizer after losing the initial bout - in bouncing back from a loss to win the rematch.

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"Of course I look towards my grandfather, my idol, my hero, but I'm also looking at myself," Ali Walsh told Sky Sports. "I know what I do with my rematch and I'm looking forward to it.

"I'm not a very revengeful person - I feel like redemption is a better suited word for this fight because it's nothing personal. I don't have any problem with him, it's just that he's getting caught in the crosshair between me and what I'm chasing.

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"He didn't need to say yes [to the rematch], so I have respect for him and his team. He has got balls to just say yes, because people don't have to do that and you see that a lot in boxing nowadays."

Two of the three judges scored the original clash 58-56 in favour of Akale, with the other marking it a 57-57 draw, with Ali Walsh believing he did enough to win the contest.

"I've seen the fight a few times and I felt like I landed the cleaner shots, I hurt him, but he was more active," Ali Walsh said. "I feel like that maybe could have swayed the judges.

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"Even though his punches weren't landing as frequently as mine or as clean as mine, he was busier and it looked that way.

"I'm not one to complain at all. I don't take losses hard. When it happened, I see every loss as like a setup for a comeback, so I'm happy that it happened and I'm glad I'm where I'm at right now."

The main event sees Lopez look defend his WBO super-lightweight title, having ripped the belt from Scotland's Josh Taylor with a masterful points win last June and claiming a unanimous decision victory over Jamaine Ortiz in February.

Canadian challenger Claggett has rejuvenated his rollercoaster career in recent years and a string of victories since 2021 has earned him a world title shot at Lopez. Watch live on Sunday from 2am on Sky Sports Action or stream with NOW.