He told interviewer David Frost, "If you think the world was surprised when Nixon resigned, wait till I whup Foreman's behind! "[297], The day after Ali's death, the UFC paid tribute to Ali at their UFC 199 event in a lengthy video tribute package, crediting Ali for his accomplishments and inspiring multiple UFC champions. Even those who were assassinated, certainly lost their lives, but they didn't voluntarily do that. [289] On December 20, 2014, Ali was hospitalized for a mild case of pneumonia. In the Cooper fight, Clay was floored by a left hook at the end of round four and was saved by the bell, going on to win in the predicted fifth round due to Cooper's severely cut eye. This led to a rematch with Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 1974; Frazier had recently lost his title to George Foreman. The bout drew a record-breaking indoor crowd of 35,460 people. When asked to elaborate on his endorsement of Reagan, Ali told reporters, "He's keeping God in schools and that's enough. [228] He later received a second Grammy nomination, for "Best Recording for Children", with his 1976 spoken word novelty record, The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay.[22]. [191] Around that time Ali moved to the south side of Chicago and lived in a series of houses, always near the Nation of Islam's Mosque Maryam or Elijah Muhammad's residence. He found a five-acre site on a Pennsylvania country road in the village of Deer Lake, Pennsylvania. A rematch occurred in September at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ali fought Terrell in Houston on February 6, 1967. He'd buy them clothes, take them to hotels and pay the bills for months in advance." Boxing legend Muhammad Ali dies at 74 - BBC News [156] In January 1985, Aaisha sued Ali for unpaid palimony. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer stated, "Muhammad Ali belongs to the world. [63], It has since been speculated that Liston purposely dropped to the ground. You need to keep that 'cause it's gone be worth a lot of money,'" Boyd said, mimicking Ali. "[112], It was a major upset victory,[113] after Ali came in as a 41 underdog against the previously unbeaten, heavy-hitting Foreman. 579 (115th): Muhammad Ali Commemorative Coin Act", "Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali Commemorative Coin Bill Introduced", "Jordan stays atop Harris Poll ahead of Ruth, Ali", "Meet the London busker who worked as Muhammad Ali's personal musician", "10 things you never knew about 'Diff'rent Strokes', "Being Better but Not Smarter than Others: The Muhammad Ali Effect at Work in Interpersonal Situations", "How Do You Really Get A Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame? Ali secured the release of the hostages, in exchange for promising Hussein that he would bring America "an honest account" of Iraq. Kiiursti says she has a relationship with his other children. Ali solidified his hold on the heavyweight championship by knocking out Liston. Brown is the author of "Muhammad Ali: The Untold Story: Painter, Poet and Prophet. Ali said in his 1975 autobiography that shortly after his return from the Rome Olympics, he threw his gold medal into the Ohio River after he and a friend were refused service at a "whites-only" restaurant and fought with a white gang. Muhammad's life is traditionally defined into two periods: pre-hijra (emigration) in Mecca (from 570 to 622 CE) and post-hijra in Medina (from 622 until 632 CE). "[110] He told the press, "I've done something new for this fight. But family spokesman Bob Gunnel disputed that, saying, "Lonnie wasn . Muhammad Ali 'had a tough time for a year' before death - doctor In March, 632 , he returned to Mecca one last time to perform a pilgrimage . [341], He also wrote several bestselling books about his career, including The Greatest: My Own Story and The Soul of a Butterfly. Afterwards, he announced he was retiring from boxing to practice his faith, having converted to Sunni Islam after falling out with the Nation of Islam the previous year. He was systematically denied a boxing license in every state and stripped of his passport. Liston fought better in round two, but at the beginning of the third round Clay hit Liston with a combination that buckled his knees and opened a cut under his left eye. [260], In early 1980, Ali was recruited by President Jimmy Carter for a diplomatic mission to Africa, in an effort to persuade a number of African governments to join the US-led boycott of the Moscow Olympics in protest of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. ", "Muhammad Ali confesses illness put a stop to his 'girl chasing,' but his son is just starting", "Still Larger Than Life To Millions, Muhammad Ali Will Always Be The Champ", "Muhammad Ali's secret daughter begs to see boxing legend one more time 'before he dies', "6 Facts About Kiiursti Mensah Ali, Muhammed Ali's Ghanaian Daughter You Need To Know (, "Muhammad Ali's tangled love life leaves troubled legacy", "Ali's alleged lovechild talks to tabloids", "An 18-year-old woman has filed suit seeking $3 million ", "Ali coming home, buys house in Jefferson County", "Patricia Sheridan's Breakfast With Lonnie Ali", "Laila Ali, With Her Father Watching, Stays Undefeated", "Kevin Casey will fight at UFC 199 despite passing of father-in-law Muhammad Ali", "My dad, the greatest: Hana Ali recalls the crushing heartache that would haunt her father his whole life", "Muhammad Ali: They Look Like They're Happy Together", "From the Vietnam war to Islam the key chapters in Ali's life", "History website, Muhammad Ali: "Cassius Clay is my slave name", "Muhammad Ali originally named for ardent abolitionist and Yale alumnus Cassius Clay", "Muhammad Ali: Why the boxing legend converted to Islam and refused to serve in the Vietnam War", "Muhammad Ali discussing his meeting with the KKK while with the Nation of Islam", "Muhammad Ali had a thought-provoking response when asked about his retirement plans", "Muhammad Ali's visit was Kozhikode's knockout moment", "Muhammad Ali: Five things you never knew about the boxing legend", "Family, faith and magic tricks: My 40-year friendship with Muhammad Ali", "Muhammad Ali: Unapologetically Black, Unapologetically Muslim", "Timothy Gianotti The Imam whose on Muhammad Ali's last days and funeral", "Prof. Gianotti plans Muhammad Ali's funeral and memorial service", International Committee To Reunite The Beatles, "Muhammad Ali in a Broadway Musical? What were you doing for the liberation of your people? Liston rose after he had been down for about 20 seconds, and the fight momentarily continued. His autobiography The Greatest: My Own Story, written with Richard Durham, was published in 1975. ")[73][75] By early 1966, the army lowered its standards to permit soldiers above the 15th percentile and Ali was again classified as 1-A. "[86][87] The New York Times columnist William Rhoden wrote, "Ali's actions changed my standard of what constituted an athlete's greatness. During this part of the bout Ali did some effective counter-punching, but for the most part absorbed punishment from a relentlessly attacking Frazier. Muhammad Ali's doctor says the iconic boxer had been "having a tough time in the last year" before his death.