Muhammad Ali was not only one of the most iconic boxers of all time, but an inspirational figure whose words still resonate to this day. His words resonate in our hearts and remind us of the power of courage, personal growth, and determination. Drawing on Ali’s personal experiences, his famous sayings are full of wisdom that we can all learn from. His powerful quotes will be sure to inspire and motivate you regardless of how many times you have heard them before.
Most inspirational Muhammad Ali quotes help you find out what it takes to be a champion today. Motivate yourself with words of wisdom from The Greatest. Feel the power of Ali’s iconic words and apply them to your life today!
Best Muhammad Ali Quotes
Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. 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
Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing. Muhammad Ali
The man who has no imagination has no wings. Muhammad Ali
If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it then I can achieve it. Muhammad Ali
He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. 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
It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe. Muhammad Ali
Don’t count the days, make the days count. Muhammad Ali
I’m so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark. 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
It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen. Muhammad Ali
Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill. 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 a fighter. I believe in the eye for an eye business. I’m no cheek turner. I got no respect for a man who won’t hit back. You kill my dog, you better hide your cat. Muhammad Ali
I believe in the religion of Islam. I believe in Allah and peace. Muhammad Ali
Often it isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you out, it’s the little pebble in your shoe. Muhammad Ali
It’s not bragging if you can back it up. Muhammad Ali
The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up. Muhammad Ali
It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself. Muhammad Ali
The Service you do for others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth. Muhammad Ali
It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up. Muhammad Ali
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Muhammad Ali
Silence is golden when you can’t think of a good answer. Muhammad Ali
To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are. 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
Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on Brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights? No I’m not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over. This is the day when such evils must come to an end. I have been warned that to take such a stand would cost me millions of dollars. But I have said it once and I will say it again. 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. Muhammad Ali
Life is a gamble. You can get hurt, but people die in plane crashes, lose their arms and legs in car accidents; people die every day. Same with fighters: some die, some get hurt, some go on. You just don’t let yourself believe it will happen to you. Muhammad Ali
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see. Muhammad Ali
If you lose a big fight, it will worry you all of your life. It will plague you until you get your revenge. Muhammad Ali
The man with no imagination has no wings. Muhammad Ali
Wars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change. 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
What you’re thinking is what you’re becoming. Muhammad Ali
If they can make penicillin out of mouldy bread, they can sure make something out of you. 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
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
My principles are more important than the money or my title. Muhammad Ali
Inside of a ring or out, ain’t nothing wrong with going down. It’s staying down that’s wrong. Muhammad Ali
I said I was The Greatest, I never said I was the smartest! Muhammad Ali
I don’t have to be what you want me to be. 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
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. Muhammad Ali
The name Muhammad is the most common name in the world. In all the countries around the world Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon there are more Muhammads than anything else. When I joined the Nation of Islam and became a Muslim, they gave me the most famous name because I was the champ. Muhammad Ali
I am America. I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me. Muhammad Ali
No one knows what to say in the loser’s locker room. Muhammad Ali
Ali’s got a left, Ali’s got a right when he knocks you down, you’ll sleep for the night; and when you lie on the floor and the ref counts to ten, hope and pray that you never meet me again. Muhammad Ali
It’s hard to be humble when you’re as great as I am. Muhammad Ali
The only thing that matters is submitting to the will of God. Muhammad Ali
My lectures, based on Islamic teachings, were on various subjects. Some of the titles were, The Intoxication of Life, The Purpose of Life, The Real Cause of Man’s Distress, The Journey to the Goal in Life, and, one of my favorites, The Heart of Man. They contained important insights that spoke to something deep inside me. Muhammad Ali
The word Islam means peace. The word Muslim means one who surrenders to God. But the press makes us seem like haters. Muhammad Ali
Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are. Muhammad Ali
I always bring out the best in men I fight, but Joe Frazier, I’ll tell the world right now, brings out the best in me. I’m gonna tell ya, that’s one helluva man, and God bless him. Muhammad Ali
Jokes? There are no jokes. The truth is the funniest joke of all. Muhammad Ali
Others may know pleasure, but pleasure is not happiness. It has no more importance than a shadow following a man. 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, hospitalised a brick; I’m so mean I make medicine sick. Muhammad Ali
I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was. 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
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
What keeps me going is goals. Muhammad Ali
We can’t be brave without fear. Muhammad Ali
A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. 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
If you even dream of beating me you’d better wake up and apologize. Muhammad Ali
All through my life, I have been tested. My will has been tested, my courage has been tested, my strength has been tested. Now my patience and endurance are being tested. Muhammad Ali
I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world. Muhammad Ali
Rivers, ponds, lakes and streams they all have different names, but they all contain water. Just as religions do they all contain truths. Muhammad Ali
I used to tease Joe Louis by reminding him that I was the greatest of all time. But Joe Louis was the greatest heavyweight fighter ever. Muhammad Ali
The greatest victory in life is to rise above the material things that we once valued most. Muhammad Ali
Allah is the Greatest. I’m just the greatest boxer. Muhammad Ali
Wisdom is knowing when you can’t be wise. Muhammad Ali
Superman don’t need no seat belt. Muhammad Ali
Joe Frazier is so ugly that when he cries, the tears turn around and go down the back of his head. Muhammad Ali
My wealth is in my knowledge of self, love, and spirituality. Muhammad Ali
Go up in an airplane. Go high enough, and it’s like we don’t even exist. 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
My only fault is that I don’t realize how great I really am. Muhammad Ali
When it comes to love, compassion, and other feelings of the heart, I am rich. Muhammad Ali
I’ve seen George Foreman shadow boxing, and the shadow won. Muhammad Ali
There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people. Muhammed 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
I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given. I believed in myself, and I believe in the goodness of others. Muhammad Ali
I’ve made my share of mistakes along the way, but if I have changed even one life for the better, I haven’t lived in vain. Muhammad Ali
A rooster crows only when it sees the light. Put him in the dark and he’ll never crow. I have seen the light and I’m crowing. Muhammad Ali
I’m the greatest thing that ever lived! I’m the king of the world! I’m a bad man. I’m the prettiest thing that ever lived. Muhammad Ali
No one starts out on top. You have to work your way up. Some mountains are higher than others, some roads steeper than the next. There are hardships and setbacks, but you can’t let them stop you. Even on the steepest road, you must not turn back. You must keep going up. In order to reach the top of the mountain, you have to climb every rock. Muhammad Ali
Boxing is a lot of white men watching two black men beat each other up. Muhammad Ali
If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough. Muhammad Ali
My toughest fight was with my first wife. Muhammad Ali
Even when I knew people were cheating me, what was important was how I behaved, because I have to answer to God. I can’t be responsible for other people’s actions They will have to answer to God themselves. Muhammad Ali
America is the greatest country in the world. Muhammad Ali
We spend more time learning how to make a living than we do learning to make a life. Muhammad Ali
No intelligent black man or black woman in his or her right black mind wants white boys and white girls coming to their homes to marry their black sons and daughters. Muhammad Ali
I’ve never let anyone talk me into not believing in myself. Muhammad Ali
Old age is just a record of one’s whole life. Muhammad Ali
Now I had won the gold medal. But it didn’t mean anything, because I didn’t have the right color skin. Muhammad Ali
You don’t have to be in a boxing ring to be a great fighter. As long as you are true to yourself, you will succeed in your fight for that in which you believe. Muhammad Ali
My conscience won’t let me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry people in the mud for big powerful America. And shoot them for what? They never called me nigger, they never lynched me, they didn’t put no dogs on me, they didn’t rob me of my nationality, rape and kill my mother and father Shoot them for what? How do I got to go shoot them, poor little black people, little babies, children, and women? How can I shoot them poor people? Just take me to jail. Muhammad Ali
Throughout my life, I never sought retribution against those who hurt me because I believe in forgiveness. I have practiced forgiving, just as I want to be forgiven. Only God knows what’s in a person’s heart, his true intentions. He sees and hears all things. Muhammad Ali
God tries you in certain, certain ways. Some people are rich, and they believe in God. They lose the money, things get hard, they get weak and quit going to church. Quit serving God like they did. Muhammad Ali
Allah’s the Arabic term for God. Stand up for God, fight for God, work for God and do the right thing, and go the right way, things will end up in your corner. Muhammad Ali
Truly great people in history never wanted to be great for themselves. All they wanted was the chance to do good for others and to be close to God. I’m not perfect. I know that I still have things to work out, and I’m working on them. There are certain things I have done that I am not proud of, especially when they caused pain to others. I ask God for forgiveness. Muhammad Ali
When we devote all of our actions to a spiritual goal, everything that we do becomes a prayer. Muhammad Ali
All of us are so mixed. My great grandfather was white. Muhammad Ali
Don’t feel sorry for me. Muhammad Ali
I am the astronaut of boxing. Joe Louis and Dempsey were just jet pilots. I’m in a world of my own. Muhammad Ali
Each time I thought I had achieved my life’s purpose, I discovered it was only another step in my journey. Muhammad Ali
I got no quarrel with them Vietcong. Muhammad Ali
Think well of all, be patient with all, and try to find the good in all. Muhammad Ali
I would say things like I am the greatest! I’m pretty! If you talk jive, you’ll drop in five! I float like a butterfly, sting like a bee! I’m pretty! When white people heard me talking like this, some said, That black man talks too much. He’s bragging. Muhammad Ali
I could see it. I could almost feel it. When I proclaimed that I was the greatest of all time, I believed in myself, and I still do. Muhammad Ali
I wanted to use my fame and this face that everyone knows so well to help uplift and inspire people around the world. Muhammad Ali
People don’t realize what they had till it’s gone. Like President Kennedy, there was no one like him, the Beatles, and my man Elvis Presley. I was the Elvis of boxing. Muhammad Ali
You can’t keep your mind on fighting when you’re thinking about a woman. You can’t keep your concentration. You feel like sleeping all the time. Muhammad Ali
The day I met Islam, I found a power within myself that no man could destroy or take away. When I first walked into the mosque, I didn’t find Islam; it found me. Muhammad Ali
No boxer in the history of boxing has had Parkinson’s. There’s no injury in my brain that suggests that the illness came from boxing. Muhammad Ali
One person with knowledge of his life’s purpose is more powerful than ten thousand working without that knowledge. It. Muhammad Ali
I give thanks to God and to all the people in the U.K. who have supported me over the years. Muhammad Ali
When I look at the world, I see that many people build big beautiful houses but live in broken homes. We spend more time learning how to make a living than we do learning to make a life. Muhammad Ali
We who follow the teachings of Elijah Muhammad don’t want to be forced to integrate. Integration is wrong. We don’t want to live with the white man; that’s all. Muhammad Ali
I never wanted to lose, never thought I would, but the thing that matters is how you lose. I’m not crying. My friends should not cry. Muhammad Ali
