45 Muhammad Ali Quotes On Life, Love and Being a Champion

Our latest collection of Muhammad Ali quotes that will help you think and live like a champion.

Muhammed Ali is widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time.

He was the heavyweight champion of the world 3 times and has defeated some of the best boxers in the history of the sport.

He is known for his incredible speed, strength, and controversial statements.

Muhammad Ali quotes and poems are famous around the world.

Ali was a passionate and intelligent man that always spoke his mind and was full of wisdom.

Unlike most boxers who used their managers to talk for them, Ali wanted to be known in the media. Ali used the media to grow his audience and his message.

Ali loved to throw off his opponents before even stepping into the ring.

Muhammed Ali first took up boxing at age 12, after another kid stole his bike.

His amateur career went extremely well and he dominated any tournaments he entered.

He was trained by Chuck Bodak and was known for his exceptional discipline and dedication to the sport.

Many of his fights, such as the fights against George Foreman and Joe Frazier, are the most famous in boxing history. Ali became the heavyweight champion of the world at the young age of 21.

While Muhammad Ali’s boxing skills were incredible, he’s also known for being a free spirit.

While many other people fled to other countries to avoid the draft, Ali decided to publicly denounce it.

He refused to be drafted, and as a result, was jailed for 3 years in the prime of his boxing career.

His resistance and protest of the war, despite the repercussions, showed the world how strong Ali’s spirit was and inspired many.

Muhammed Ali will always be known for his rebellious nature, witty mouth, and incredible boxing ability.

He created a legacy that will live on forever. Everyone can learn something from Muhammad Ali quotes.

Below is our collection of inspirational, wise, and funny Muhammad Ali quotes and sayings, collected from a variety of sources over the years.

Muhammad Ali Quotes on Life

1.) “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve 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 declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” – Muhammad Ali

2.) “I don’t count my sit-ups; I only start counting when it starts hurting because they’re the only ones that count.”  – Muhammad Ali

3.) “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” – Muhammad Ali

4.) “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses—behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” – Muhammad Ali

5.) “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” – Muhammad Ali

6.) “It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself.” – Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali Quotes on Being a Champion

7.) “Friendship … is not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.” – Muhammad Ali

8.) “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’m free to be what I want.” – Muhammad Ali

9.) “A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” – Muhammad Ali

10.) “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” – Muhammad Ali

11.) “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.” – Muhammad Ali

12.) “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” – Muhammad Ali

13.) “I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was. I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.” – Muhammad Ali

14.) “If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you.” – Muhammad Ali

15.) “Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.” – Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali quotes on Islam and Love

16.) “Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.” – Muhammad Ali

17.) “There are no pleasures in a fight, but some of my fights have been a pleasure to win.” – Muhammad Ali

18.) “I’ve wrestled with alligators / I’ve tussled with a whale / I done handcuffed lightning / And throw thunder in jail.” – Muhammad Ali

19.) “If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it—then I can achieve it.” – Muhammad Ali

20.) “Don’t count the days; make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali

21.) “It’s not bragging if you can back it up.” – Muhammad Ali

22.) “At home I am a nice guy: but I don’t want the world to know. Humble people, I’ve found, don’t get very far.” – Muhammad Ali

23.) “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” – Muhammad Ali

More Quotes by Muhammad Ali

24.) “To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If not pretend you are.” – Muhammad Ali

25.) “What you are thinking is what you are becoming. – Muhammad Ali

26.) “What keeps me going is goals.” – Muhammad Ali

27.) “Live everyday as if it were your last because someday you’re going to be right.” – Muhammad Ali

28.) “Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are.” – Muhammad Ali

29.) “If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, then they can sure make something out of you.” – Muhammad Ali

30.) “Silence is golden when you can’t think of a good answer.” – Muhammad Ali

31.) It’s hard to be humble, when you’re as great as I am. – Muhammad Ali

32.) It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up. – Muhammad Ali

33.) It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen. – Muhammad Ali

34.) Life is a gamble. You can get hurt, but people die in plane crashes, lose their arms and legs in car accidents; people die every day. Same with fighters: some die, some get hurt, some go on. You just don’t let yourself believe it will happen to you. – Muhammad Ali

35.) My toughest fight was with my first wife. – Muhammad Ali

36.) My way of joking is to tell the truth. That’s the funniest joke in the world.  – Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali Quotes on Training

37.) No one knows what to say in the loser’s locker room. – Muhammad Ali

38.) Old age is just a record of one’s whole life. – Muhammad Ali

39.) Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even. – Muhammad Ali

40.) Rivers, ponds, lakes and streams – they all have different names, but they all contain water. Just as religions do – they all contain truths. – Muhammad Ali

41.) Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. – Muhammad Ali

42.) 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’m free to be what I want. – Muhammad Ali

43.) “I never thought of losing, but now that it’ s happened, the only thing is to do it right. That’s my obligation to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life.” – Muhammad Ali

44.) “I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world.” – Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali Pre Fight Rhymes and Quotes

“This is the legend of Cassius Clay,
The most beautiful fighter in the world today.
He talks a great deal, and brags indeed-y,
of a muscular punch that’s incredibly speed-y.
The fistic world was dull and weary,
But with a champ like Liston, things had to be dreary.
Then someone with color and someone with dash,
Brought fight fans are runnin’ with Cash.
This brash young boxer is something to see
And the heavyweight championship is his des-tin-y.
This kid fights great; he’s got speed and endurance,
But if you sign to fight him, increase your insurance.
This kid’s got a left; this kid’s got a right,
If he hit you once, you’re asleep for the night.
And as you lie on the floor while the ref counts ten,
You’ll pray that you won’t have to fight me again.
For I am the man this poem’s about,
The next champ of the world, there isn’t a doubt.
This I predict and I know the score,
I’ll be champ of the world in ’64.
When I say three, they’ll go in the third,
10 months ago

So don’t bet against me, I’m a man of my word.
He is the greatest! Yes!
I am the man this poem’s about,
I’ll be champ of the world, there isn’t a doubt.
Here I predict Mr. Liston’s dismemberment,
I’ll hit him so hard; he’ll wonder where October and November went.
When I say two, there’s never a third,
Standin against me is completely absurd.
When Cassius says a mouse can outrun a horse,
Don’t ask how; put your money where your mouse is!
I AM THE GREATEST!” – Muhammad Ali

Last night I had a dream, When I got to Africa,
I had one hell of a rumble.
I had to beat Tarzan’s behind first,
For claiming to be King of the Jungle.
For this fight, I’ve wrestled with alligators,
I’ve tussled with a whale.
I done handcuffed lightning
And throw thunder in jail.
You know I’m bad.
just last week, I murdered a rock,
Injured a stone, Hospitalized a brick.
I’m so mean, I make medicine sick.
I’m so fast, man,
I can run through a hurricane and don’t get wet.
When George Foreman meets me,
He’ll pay his debt.
I can drown the drink of water, and kill a dead tree.
Wait till you see Muhammad Ali. – Muhammad Ali

I’d like for them to say he took a few cups of love,

he took one tablespoon of patience, teaspoon of generosity,

one pint of kindness. He took one quart of laughter,

one pinch of concern,

and then,

he mix willingness with happiness,

he added lots of faith,

and he stirred it up well,

then he spreads it over his span of a lifetime,

and he served it to each and every deserving person he met.

– Muhammad Ali

To make America the greatest is my goal,
So I beat the Russians, and I beat the Pole,
and for the USA won the medal of gold.
Italians said: “You’re Greater than the Cassius of old´´.
We like your name, we like your game,
So make Rome your home if you will.
I said I appreciate your kind hospitality,
But the USA is my country still,
‘Cause they’re waiting to welcome me in Louisville.

Poem written after winning the gold medal in the 1960 Olympic Summer Games in Rome, Italy

Top 10 Muhammad Ali Best Knockouts

Which Muhammad Ali quotes were your favorite?

Whether or not you’re a boxing fan, there are lots of lessons you can learn from Muhammad Ali quotes. He was a heavyweight both inside and outside the ring, and left an indelible mark on history and culture.

Hopefully, these words from the people’s champion have inspired you to be self-confident and to hold true to yourself and your own beliefs, regardless of circumstance.

Did you enjoy these Muhammad Ali quotes? What other quotes by Muhammad Ali would you add to the list? Tell us in the comment section below! #ripchamp #ali

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