8 Amazing facts about Muhammed Ali

The Ku Klux Klan made Ali an honorary member  

As a member of the radical Nation of Islam, Ali's views on racial segregation were similar to the Klan's. He once addressed a Klan rally to great acclaim and often boasted about the incident. The Klan duly made Ali an honorary member.  

He invented MMA

In 1976, boxer Ali fought an exhibition bout with Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki that combined the rules of both disciplines. Although the event was a farce - a restricted Inoki mostly kicked at Ali from the floor, Ali only threw six punches - the fight is seen as a precursor to modern MMA.  

He threatened Joe Frazier with a gun

Before the Thrilla in Manilla, Ali appeared outside Frazier's hotel room brandishing a gun and screaming, "I am going to shoot you!" Some sources claim the gun was a toy, others that Ali actually let off shots (although not at Frazier).

He performed in a musical

In 1969, while banned from boxing, Ali starred in a musical. Buck White centered on a militant black lecturer, with an afroed and bearded Ali playing the title role. It ran for seven performances.

Elvis jinxed him

The King and the Greatest met in Las Vegas in 1973. Elvis presented Ali with a jewel-encrusted robe emblazoned, "The People's Choice." Ali wore the robe to fight Ken Norton, lost, and never wore it again.

He freed American hostages from Iraq

In 1990 Ali travelled to Iraq to negotiate the release of 15 US hostages captured in the recent invasion of Kuwait. Although crippled with Parkinson's, Ali charmed Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi government. The hostages were freed. Six weeks later America bombed Baghdad and the Gulf War began.

He trained by dodging rocks 

If you can dodge a rock, you can dodge a punch. As a child, Ali honed his reflexes by having his younger brother Rudy throw rocks at him. Rudy claims Ali dodged every rock.

His aura slayed giants

The Rumble in the Jungle pitted an aging Ali against the seemingly invincible champion George Foreman. Seconds before the first bell, Ali looked into the eyes of his unbeaten opponent and whispered, "You have heard of me since you were young. You've been following me since you were a little boy. Now you must meet me, your master!" He won by a knockout.