"Float like a butterfly. Sting like a bee. You can't hit what your eyes don't see.": MUHAMMED ALI

Muhammad Ali, who is known by everyone interested in boxing in the world, has become the idol and hero of many athletes with his achievements and statements in his boxing career. Muhammad Ali, one of the most ambitious and stubborn athletes the boxing world has ever seen, has made a name for himself with his struggles against racism and social equality and has become a symbol in this field.

His real name is Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. Muhammad Ali was born on January 17, 1942, in Kentucky, USA. Muhammed Ali, a brave boy who fought with bigger and bigger kids than himself when he was in primary school, had a mischievous and active childhood. Muhammed Ali, who is frequently warned by his teachers and administrators at school, faces the danger of being expelled from school after a few warnings. He completed his schooling without any problems, the year his father convinced him with the promise of buying a bicycle and agreed not to engage in any more negative behavior at school.


Muhammed Ali, whose bike was stolen shortly after he started using his bike, went to the police station with his father and filed a complaint as soon as his bike was stolen. An officer named Joe, who works at the police station and is interested in boxing, says, "If you knew boxing, they would be afraid of you and wouldn't steal your bike." Officer Joe, who liked Cassius's physique at first glance, takes Cassius and his father to the boxing gym and convinces them that Cassius should start boxing. This step is recorded as the first moment when Muhammad Ali, who wrote his name in golden letters in world boxing history, met boxing. Cassius loves boxing so much that he runs from home to gym and often races cars on the road. Although he is still young, Cassius is faster and more agile than many boxers older than him, and develops his own stance and striking techniques. He generally looked for opportunities in all the matches he participated in, and even in many matches in which he was beaten, he would knock out his opponent with the opportunity he suddenly found. This unique style makes Cassius a much talked about and feared athlete among his competitors.

Cassius, who was introduced to boxing in 1954 when he was only 12 years old, won 161 of the 167 matches he played in the amateur league, making his name among the record holders and attracting the attention of many people. Cassisus, who worked hard for 6 years and achieved great success in every tournament he competed in, started his professional career by winning the gold medal in the heavy-lightweight boxing tournament held in Rome in 1960. The Olympic gold medal he won at the Rome Olympic Games at the age of 18 was his first major achievement, and his fame began to increase around the world.


In 1964, he defeated World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Sonny Liston and became World Champion. After this championship, Cassius decides to change his religion. Cassius, who converted to Islam, decided to take the name Muhammad Ali after accepting Islam.

After this much-discussed and talked about event after he became a Muslim, the US government decided to send Muhammad Ali to Vietnam. The champion boxer strongly opposes this and;

'How can they expect me to put on a uniform and drop bombs and shoot bullets in a country 10,000 miles away, when people in Louisville are still called dirty niggers, treated like dogs, and deprived of even the simplest rights? No, I will not go 10,000 miles away and help white slave masters oppress another non-white nation, kill them, burn their homes. Today is the day when such evil deeds end. They said that taking such a stance would cost me millions of dollars. But I've said it before and I'll say it again. The real enemy of my people is here in America. I will not be a tool used to enslave those people who are fighting for their own freedom, their own justice and equality. I cannot humiliate my religion, my people and myself. If I thought that this war would bring freedom and equality to my 22 million people, I would go and join the army myself. I resist for the values I believe in. I have nothing to lose. They were going to put me in jail, so what? 'We have already been in prison for 400 years.'


He says and resists going to Vietnam. Following this decision, the government expels Muhammad Ali from the league he competed in and declares him a traitor. After all these developments, he is given a fake traffic ticket and is quickly thrown into prison without any defense.

Muhammad Ali, who was released from prison shortly after, took on a new task for himself during these years when he could not get into the ring. He visits universities and organizes various conferences about Islam. League officials, who think that he has completely abandoned boxing, return Muhammad Ali's license to avoid further suspicion. Muhammad Ali's next victory was Jerry Quarry, who entered the ring as soon as he received his license and continued his success from where he left off. An unforgettable event took place in 1971, and although Muhammad Ali defeated his opponent Joe Frazier, the referees raised Frazier's hand at the end of the match. There are rumors about Muhammad Ali, who was defeated by Ken Norton with a broken jaw, that his boxing career is over, but while these rumors are being made, Muhammad Ali, who beat Frazier, whom he once again competed with in 1974, shows everyone that he still has a lot to say.

The Champion, who lost and regained the world championship twice with the matches he played between 1974 and 1978, was defeated only 5 times in his professional career. By the age of 36, he won 56 of the 61 matches he fought, 37 of which were knockouts, achieving a success that many boxers could not achieve.


Muhammad Ali, who became the world heavyweight boxing champion three times in 1964, 1974 and 1978, became the only record holder in this field by defending his title against his opponents 19 times.

The champion boxer, who retired in 1981 and started living on his farm in Michigan, devoted himself to charity work after his retirement. During these years, he started to say his famous words that are still talked about and are still used by many people today.

The champion boxer, who passed away on June 3, 2016 due to Parkinson's disease and respiratory disorders, showed us an unforgettable career example. Moreover, he won the admiration of everyone, regardless of bias, with his unique style and character. The successful boxer, who is also known for his saying "I fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee", proved that he is truly the best of all time with his statement "I am the best of all time".

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