Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers of all time, was known for his sharp wit and memorable quotes. His words continue to inspire and motivate people around the world. Here, you will find some of his most famous quotes that capture his wisdom and charisma. Read more quotes by famous athletes here.
- “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see.” – Muhammad Ali
- “I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was.” – Muhammad Ali
- “Don’t count the days; make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali
- “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” – Muhammad Ali
- “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” – Muhammad Ali
- “It’s not bragging if you can back it up.” – Muhammad Ali
- “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
- “A man who has no imagination has no wings.” – Muhammad Ali
- “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.” – Muhammad Ali
- “If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it—then I can achieve it.” – Muhammad Ali
- “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
- “The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” – Muhammad Ali
- “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
- “I’m young; I’m handsome; I’m fast. I can’t possibly be beat.” – Muhammad Ali
- “If you even dream of beating me, you’d better wake up and apologize.” – Muhammad Ali
- “It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.” – Muhammad Ali
- “I’m so mean, I make medicine sick.” – Muhammad Ali
- “I should be a postage stamp. That’s the only way I’ll ever get licked.” – Muhammad Ali
- “Live everyday as if it were your last because someday you’re going to be right.” – Muhammad Ali
- “I shook up the world. Me! We! We shook up the world!” – Muhammad Ali
- “It’s hard to be humble when you’re as great as I am.” – Muhammad Ali
- “Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are.” – Muhammad Ali
- “Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision.” – Muhammad Ali
- “I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick; I’m so mean I make medicine sick.” – Muhammad Ali
- “What keeps me going is goals.” – Muhammad Ali
- “To be able to give away riches is mandatory if you wish to possess them. This is the only way that you will be truly rich.” – Muhammad Ali
- “It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself.” – Muhammad Ali
- “I’m a fighter. I believe in the eye-for-an-eye business. I’m no cheek-turner. I’ve got no respect for a man who won’t hit back. You kill my dog, you better hide your cat.” – Muhammad Ali
- “I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world.” – Muhammad Ali
- “If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you.” – Muhammad Ali
- “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
- “I’m not the greatest; I’m the double greatest. Not only do I knock ’em out, I pick the round.” – Muhammad Ali
- “Silence is golden when you can’t think of a good answer.” – Muhammad Ali
- “I’ve been everywhere in the world, seen everything, had everything a man can have.” – Muhammad Ali
- My way of joking is to tell the truth. That’s the funniest joke in the world.” – Muhammad Ali
- “I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.” – Muhammad Ali
- “The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.” – Muhammad Ali
- “Wars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change.” – Muhammad Ali
- “I don’t trust anyone who’s nice to me but rude to the waiter. Because they would treat me the same way if I were in that position.” – Muhammad Ali
- “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
- “It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.” – Muhammad Ali
- “It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.” – Muhammad Ali
- “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
- “You lose nothing when fighting for a cause … In my mind the losers are those who don’t have a cause they care about.” – Muhammad Ali
- “Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn’t matter which color does the hating. It’s just plain wrong.” – Muhammad Ali
- “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
- “The greatest victory in life is to rise above the material things that we once valued most.” – Muhammad Ali
- “No one starts out on top. You have to work your way up.” – Muhammad Ali
- “Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: a desire, a dream, a vision.” – Muhammad Ali
- “Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.” – Muhammad Ali
