The 80 Best Quotes of Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali, known early in his career as Cassius Clay, was a famous American boxer considered one of the best in boxing history.

As a person, Ali during his life fought for the rights of the African-American community and for the acceptance of Islam in the United States. This boxer’s personality made him one of the most influential people of his generation. During his career as a boxer Ali fought against other boxing greats such as: Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Larry Holmes.

Great phrases from Muhammad Ali, an unforgettable boxer

His sports career was one of the most successful in history, but what made Muhammad Ali truly great were undoubtedly his personality and his values. Do you want to know the best phrases of this ring legend?

Next you will discover the 80 best phrases of Muhammad Ali an icon of the ring and social struggle that we must never forget.

1. Wisdom is knowing when you cannot be wise.

Knowing how to accept our own shortcomings is the first step towards wisdom.

2. I’m so quick that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.

Ali’s technique and speed changed the world of boxing forever.

3. When you’re as great as me, it’s hard to be humble.

The personality of this boxer was always somewhat eccentric, psychology in boxing is very important.

4. I am young; I am handsome; I’m fast. I can’t be defeated.

In order to be successful in the world of boxing, we must have great confidence in ourselves.

5. We spend more time learning how to make a living than we do learning how to make a life.

Values ​​and principles are things we don’t learn in school, what we do is not who we are.

6. It’s hard to be humble when you’re as good as me.

Humility is a quality that not all people possess, and even less so if you are the heavyweight champion.

7. Rivers, ponds, lakes and streams: they all have different names, but they all contain water. Like religions, they all contain truths.

As a Muslim, Ali embraced the religion of his ancestors, an act that earned him many detractors at the time.

8. All my life, I have been tested. My will has been tested, my courage has been tested, my strength has been tested. Now my patience and endurance are being tested.

Life always brings new challenges for us, being victorious will in many cases depend on our attitude.

9. Often it’s not the mountains that wear you down, it’s the little pebble in your shoe.

Small discomforts can end up causing a much bigger problem, we must tackle problems when they are small.

10. I buy weapons from them, I buy planes from them, but I am not going to war.

The hypocrisy of the United States with its politics was something that this particular boxer always hated.

11. Champions are not made in gyms, they are made of something immaterial that they have deep inside them. It is a wish, a dream, a vision.

In order to be champions we must put all our efforts into action, our will will lead us to victory.

12. My hardest fight was against my first wife.

Love relationships can be very tortuous, Alí ​​explains it to us in this controversial quote.

13. If you love God, you cannot love only some of his children.

All people are equal and should enjoy the same rights.

14. It should be a stamp. That’s the only way they’re going to lick me.

In this quote Ali shows us his particular sense of humor, without a doubt this boxer had a very peculiar way of communicating with the media.

15. If you dream of beating me, you better wake up and ask for forgiveness.

In this way, Ali communicated to his adversaries that not even in their wildest dreams will they be able to defeat him.

16. Friendship is not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you haven’t really learned anything.

Friendship is a relationship that can bring us many positive aspects in our lives. Our friends will always accompany us in the most difficult moments.

17. I will show you how great I am.

Perhaps this is Muhammad Ali’s most iconic phrase, with it he shows us his strong character and his great hunger for success.

18. A man who sees the world the same at age 50 as he did at age 20 has lost 30 years of his life.

We must evolve throughout our lives, we must never stay stagnant. We can always learn something new.

19. Live every day as if it were your last because one day you will be right.

Taking advantage of the moment will help us live a much fuller life. Now is the only thing we really have.

20. What you are thinking is what you are becoming.

Our thoughts shape us as individuals, we are what we think.

21. Age is what you think it is. You are as old as you think you are.

Age can be just a number, it’s never too late for anything. As long as we are alive we can try again.

22. The fight is won or lost far from the witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and on the road; long before dancing under those lights.

Preparation is the most important thing in a boxing match, we must be physically and mentally prepared to win.

23. I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I am free to be what I want.

As Ali tells us, we must be who we want to be. We must live life our way.

24. I hated every minute of training, but I said: Don’t give up. He suffers now and lives the rest of your life as a champion.

When we want to achieve a great goal, we must know that we will have to make a great sacrifice to achieve it. Are you willing to do whatever it takes?

25. Question from a journalist: What are your favorite objects? Muhammad Ali’s answer: Cars and mirrors.

What great athlete doesn’t like cars? A very sincere response from this sports legend.

26. I am the boxing astronaut. Joe Louis and Dempsey were just jet pilots. I’m in a world of my own.

The level that Ali reached with his boxing had not been seen to date, he showed that technique always overcomes strength.

27. It’s not arrogance if you can sustain it.

When we show that we are what we say, we are only being sincere.

28. My principles are much more important than my money or my titles.

Our principles are a good part of the person we are, we should never give them up.

29. Think well about everything, be patient with everyone and try to find the good in everyone.

Our attitude in life can take us very far, in this quote, Ali gives us this wise advice.

30. My wealth is in my knowledge of self, love and spirituality.

Our thoughts are our most valuable assets, as they are what make us as individuals.

31. There is nothing wrong with going down. Staying down is wrong.

Only when we give up are we truly defeated, we must get back up.

32. I am a boxing savant, a boxing scientist. I am a master of dance, a true artist of the ring.

Boxing requires great intelligence from its athletes, they must know how to analyze the opponent and be able to anticipate their movements before they happen.

33. Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn’t matter what color you hate. It is simply incorrect.

Racism is something that we should not allow in society, a person’s skin color should never be a relevant factor. What is really important about any human being is his values ​​and principles.

34. I try not to talk about all the charities and people I help, because I believe we can only be truly generous when we don’t expect anything in return.

Those who boast of being generous in the media are only making a show of themselves.

35. It’s just a job. The grass grows, the birds fly, the waves hit the sand. I hit people.

As an elite athlete, Ali had to be able to balance his family life with his professional life. Boxing is a sport as noble as any other.

36. When you want to talk about who made me, talk to me. The one who made me is ME.

The experiences we go through during life and how we deal with them reveal us as individuals.

37. I have never allowed anyone to convince me not to believe in myself.

The opinions of others should never outweigh our own. We must not let ourselves be carried away by third parties.

38. It is the repetition of statements that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things start to happen.

When we truly believe in something, that is when we can make that something a reality. If we do not believe in our possibilities, we will never achieve our goals.

39. Why am I asked to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and throw bombs and bullets at dark-skinned people while black people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied the simplest human rights? I’m not going to go 10,000 miles away and show my face to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slavers.

During the Vietnam War this boxer was called up, and when he refused, his world champion title and boxing license were withdrawn. A judge would later rule that this sentence was totally arbitrary and he was returned what was rightfully his.

40. I am America. I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, arrogant; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, mine; get used to me.

Muhammad Ali was very proud of himself and with this quote he shows it to us. He was not going to allow himself to be disrespected.

41. I have no fight with the VietCong… No VietCong ever called me black

At that time, this boxer felt more in fight with his own country than with any other.

42. I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent given to me. I believed in myself, and I believe in the goodness of others.

Our effort and dedication will allow us to meet our objectives in the future, we must be perseverant.

43. I could see it. She could almost feel it. When I proclaimed him to be the greatest of all time, I believed in myself, and I still believe that.

Believing in ourselves is totally necessary to be successful in life, this boxer is a clear example of this.

44. I believe in the religion of Islam. I believe in Allah and peace.

Ali converted to Islam when he discovered that it was the religion of his ancestors. He returned to his roots physically and spiritually.

45. A man who has no imagination has no wings.

Imagination is a very powerful weapon, a necessary weapon to discover our goals in life.

46. ​​I am the most recognized and loved man who ever lived, because there were no satellites when Jesus and Moses were around, so the people in the villages knew nothing about them.

With the arrival of new technologies, the sport is broadcast worldwide, making its protagonists men and women famous worldwide.

47. Criticism only made me work harder.

We must take advantage of criticism as fuel for our ambition, we will show how much they are wrong.

48. You lose nothing when you fight for a cause… In my opinion, losers are those who don’t have a cause they care about.

We all have something to fight for, and if not, why do it?

49. The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.

In order to achieve our goals we must get to work, the road can be long and the sooner we start, the better.

50. Silence is golden when you can’t think of a good answer.

We should not make statements that we may regret, in these cases it is much better to remain silent.

51. When we dedicate all our actions to a spiritual goal, everything we do becomes a prayer.

Religion is a fundamental factor in the lives of millions of people, this boxer lived his conversion to Islam with great spirituality.

52. Superman doesn’t need a seat belt.

Indeed, superheroes do not need to take the same precautions as other human beings. Ali was not afraid of anything in life.

53. I have fought a crocodile, I have fought a whale, I have handcuffed lightning, I have locked thunder in prison, I have murdered a rock, I have injured a stone, I hospitalized a brick, I am so bad that I make people sick. medicine.

The media, on certain occasions, attacked Muhammad Ali, and as we can see the anger that he felt towards them was palpable in the atmosphere.

54. The greatest victory in life is to rise above the material things we once valued most.

Material goods are not really necessary, the best things we can possess are intangibles like love or freedom.

55. At home I’m a good guy: but I don’t want the world to know it. Humble people, I have discovered, don’t get very far.

Indeed, in his private life Ali was a totally normal person, a friend of his friends and very familiar.

56. Wars of nations are fought to change maps. But poverty wars are fought to map change.

Wars are always unfair, and a war can be fought on many different battlefields. Economic wars are also being fought today.

57. Others may know pleasure, but pleasure is not happiness. It is no more important than a shadow following a man.

Pleasure and happiness certainly have nothing to do with each other, pleasure can last only a second and happiness, a lifetime.

58. What keeps me going are goals.

Our goals in life largely determine our daily actions. We must fix them and pursue them tirelessly.

59. Jokes? There are no jokes. The truth is the funniest joke of all.

Humor is a vital aspect in everyone’s life, with it we can make our lives much more bearable.

60. It is lack of faith that makes people afraid to face challenges, and I believed in myself.

Having faith in ourselves is the first step towards self-improvement, we must believe in ourselves and our possibilities.

61. If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, surely they can make something out of you.

They can always do something with the remains that Ali leaves behind of a boxer, he only thought about smashing them to pieces.

62. Sonny Liston is nothing. This man needs boxing lessons. And since he’s going to fight me, he needs falling lessons!

The fight between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston is one of the most legendary in boxing history. The birth of a legend.

63. If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough.

We should not set limits in life, we are capable of making everything we set out to come true.

64. He who is not brave enough to take risks will achieve nothing in life.

In order to achieve success we must take risks on more than one occasion; certain personal achievements are not achieved if we do not give everything for them.

65. “Impossible” is just a big word thrown around by little men who find it easier to live in the world they have been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a statement. It is a challenge. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Nothing is impossible.

Nothing is impossible, only we ourselves set our limits in life.

66. People can’t stand loudmouths, but they always listen to them.

Whenever you talk too much, there will be someone willing to see you screw up.

67. Everyone is negotiable.

Ali was willing to box in any country in the world.

68. I sought advice and collaboration from everyone around me, but never their permission.

Knowing how to receive advice is a good practice, but we will always be the ones who make the final decision.

69. Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach deep into your soul and gain the extra ounce of power needed to win when the match seems lost.

If we are able to get up again and again, in the end we will be able to win,

70. I’m the best, I said it before I even knew it.

Ali always demonstrated a positive attitude throughout his boxing career.

71. I float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. His hands cannot reach what his eyes cannot see. Now You See Me, Now You Do not.

Who doesn’t know this mythical boxer phrase? Technique is fundamental in boxing.

72. I’m doubly great, I not only knock them out but I also choose the round.

As we can see, this famous athlete even boasted about his own rivals. They were nothing to the great Muhammad Ali.

73. I don’t count my abs; I only start counting when it starts to hurt because they are the only ones who count.

Preparation for each fight is a fundamental aspect in boxing; training often determines who will be the winner of a fight.

74. We cannot be brave without fear.

Fear is a very human emotion, we must use it to try harder, if possible.

75. “Cassius Clay”, that is the name of a slave. I didn’t choose it, I didn’t want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free man.

He wanted to break with everything that had been imposed on him in life, he would give himself a name and decide his own future.

76. One person with knowledge of his life’s purpose is more powerful than ten thousand who work without that knowledge.

When we have a goal, we can focus all our efforts on achieving it. We must know what we want in life.

77. Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.

We must be kind to others and try to improve society with our daily actions.

78. Don’t count the days, make the days count.

Living each day to the fullest will allow us to be much happier. As we read in this quote, we must make every day count.

79. To be a great champion, you have to believe that you are the best; If you are not, pretend you are.

If we do not believe in ourselves we will not succeed, it is important that our rival does not know that we do not believe in our possibilities.

80. If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it.

If we are completely determined, there will be nothing that can stop us on our rise to success.