Muhammad Ali Quotes

“Oh! how the hours hasten to change into days, the days into months, the months into years, and those into life's annihilation!”

“If you even dream of beating me you'd better wake up and apologize.”

“My principles are more important than the money or my title.”

“I'm the king of the world, I am the greatest, I'm Muhammed Ali, I shook up the world, I am the greatest, I'm king of the world, I'm pretty, I'm pretty, I'm a baaaad man, you heard me I'm a baaad man, Archie Moore fell in four, Liston wanted me more, so since he's so great, I'm a make him fall in eight, I'm a baaad man, I'm king of the world! I'm 22 years old and ain't gotta mark on my face, I'm pretty, I easily survived six rounds with that ugly bear, because I am the greatest.”

“I saw that streak in him when he told me, 'Get the hell out of here or I'll wipe you out., I got the hell out of there, Liston really scared me.”

“We must not only control the weapons that can kill us, we must bridge the great disparities of wealth and opportunity among the peoples of the world, the vast majority of whom live in poverty without hope, opportunity or choices in life. These conditions are a breeding ground for division that can cause a desperate people to resort to nuclear weapons as a last resort. Our only hope lies in the power of our love, generosity, tolerance and understanding and our commitment to making the world a better place.”

“Just remember that you don't have to be what they want you to be.”

“The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality.… If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years.”

“The sweetness of life lies in dispensing with formalities.”

“When you can whip any man in the world, you never know peace.”

“If America were in a just war I'd volunteer for the front line. I'd do the shuffling and win the war.”

“I don't count my situps. I only start counting once it starts hurting.”

“Hittin' hard don't mean nothing if you don't find nothin' to hit.”

“Floyd Paterson? Boy, he's the complete opposite to me. He no way like me. They go down in history for just being athletes. I'm getting more praise and credit for doing what I'm doing now on this show than coming here and beating five of your English champions.”

“Our only hope lies in the power of our love, generosity, tolerance and understanding and our commitment to making the world a better place for all.”

“I said I was 'The Greatest,' I never said I was the smartest!”

“I should be a postage stamp, because that's the only way I'll ever get licked. I'm beautiful. I'm fast. I'm so mean I make medicine sick. I can't possibly be beat.”

“America is the greatest country in the world.”

“I don't call myself a political figure but I'm taken to be.”

“I'm The Greatest, but only in relation to fighting.”

“I said to myself, 'the champion of the whole world can whoop every man in Russia, every man in America, every man in China, every man in Japan, every man in Europe - every man in the whole world'.It sounds big, didn't it? So I kept working until I did it.”

“Islam religion has no color distinction, we are just Muslims.”

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

“It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.”

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