God gave me this illness to remind me that I'm not number One; he is.

God gave me this illness to remind me that I'm not number One; he is.

Fifteen referees. I want fifteen referees to be at this fight because there ain't no one man who can keep read more

Fifteen referees. I want fifteen referees to be at this fight because there ain't no one man who can keep up with the pace I'm gonna set except me. There's not a man alive who can whup me. I'm too fast. I'm too smart. I'm too pretty. I should be a postage stamp. That's the only way I'll ever get licked.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

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

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

Don't count the days, make the days count.

Don't count the days, make the days count.

Statement after losing his first fight to Ken Norton, March 31, 1973: I never thought of losing, but now that read more

Statement after losing his first fight to Ken Norton, March 31, 1973: 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.

I say get an education. Become an electrician, a mechanic, a doctor, a lawyer — anything but a fighter. In read more

I say get an education. Become an electrician, a mechanic, a doctor, a lawyer — anything but a fighter. In this trade, it's the managers that make the money and last the longest.

Pleasure is not happiness. It has no more importance than a shadow following a man.

Pleasure is not happiness. It has no more importance than a shadow following a man.

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses — behind the lines, in the gym and out there read more

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.