Muhammad Ali was one of the most iconic and influential figures in the sport's history. Ali had a reputation for his quick wit and flamboyant personality both inside and outside the ring.

In 1960, Clay earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, traveling to Rome, Italy, to compete for the gold medal. After triumphing in his first three matches, Clay defeated Poland's Zbigniew Pietrzkowski and won the light-heavyweight Olympic gold medal.

Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 17, 1942, and given the name Cassius Clay Jr., He showed a talent for boxing at the age of 12 after his bike was stolen. After this, Clay started working with a police officer and boxing trainer, Joe Martin.

In 1956, he won the Golden Gloves tournament for novices, followed by the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions and the Amateur Athletic Union's national title for the light heavyweight division in 1959. Ali experienced racial prejudice growing up in the segregated South.

Following his Olympic triumph, Clay was hailed an American hero. The Louisville Sponsoring Group later backed Ali. He turned professional and continued his domination over all rivals.

Possibly the most famous boxing match in history was the "Thrilla in Manila" held in Quezon City, Philippines, in 1975. This was the third and final fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

Both opponents traded heavy blows for nearly the entire bout, with neither emerging as the clear winner. However, Frazier's trainer called off the fight after the 14th round, giving Ali the well-earned victory.

Ali was married four times and had a total of nine children. In 1964, Ali married his first wife, Sonji Roi. His second wife was Belinda Boyd, whom he married in 1967. They had four children together, Maryum, Jamillah, Liban, and Muhammad Ali Jr. Boyd and Ali parted ways in 1976.

Ali married Veronica Porche in 1977, and they had two daughters, Laila Ali, who later became a boxing champion. Muhammad Ali pictured here with one of his daughters, Hama Ali.

Laila Ali followed in her father's footsteps and is considered one of the most outstanding female boxers ever. During her career, Laila remained unbeaten with 24 wins, 21 being knockouts. Laila retired from boxing in 2007 and has since been active in television and philanthropic work.

In 1964, Clay became a member of the Black Muslim organization Nation of Islam and adopted the name Cassius X. He later switched to Muhammad Ali. During the 1970s, the boxing legend embraced orthodox Islam.

In 1967, the boxing legend was stripped of his heavyweight title after refusing to be drafted into the US Army. After his suspension, Ali later reclaimed the title as the world heavyweight boxing champion.

Despite standing at an impressive height of six feet, three inches, Clay was renowned for his speed and fancy footwork inside the ring.

Muhammad Ali and Floyd Patterson engaged in two heavyweight professional boxing matches. In November 1965, Patterson faced Ali for the first time, losing by technical knockout in the 12th round.

The second fight was in September 1972, when Ali won the NABF heavyweight title. In both matches, Ali emerged victorious by technical knockouts.

Joe Frazier and Ali faced off in the highly-anticipated "Fight of the Century" in 1971. The two boxing icons battled fiercely for 14 rounds until Frazier landed a devastating left hook, dropping Ali in the 15th. Ali went on to defeat Frazier in a rematch in 1974.

In 1974 undefeated heavyweight champion George Foreman and the legendary Ali went head to head in the historic boxing match "Rumble in the Jungle."

The fight was organized by promoter Don King and held in Kinshasa. Ali's masterful performance silenced his critics and floored his opponent with an eighth-round knockout, regaining his heavyweight title.

Ali retired from boxing in June 1979, but he returned to the ring in October 1980 to battle heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. He left the boxing world for good with a remarkable record of 56-5, being the only fighter to have won the heavyweight championship three times.

Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and focused on his philanthropy work. In 1984, Ali's battle with Parkinson's disease became public knowledge, and the boxing legend passed away on June 3, 2016.