Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his read more

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

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

If my fans think I can do everything I say I can do, then they're crazier than I am. After read more

If my fans think I can do everything I say I can do, then they're crazier than I am. After one of his fight predictions turned out to be wrong.

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.

Let the other guy have whatever he wants before the fight. Once the bell rings he's gonna be disappointed anyway. read more

Let the other guy have whatever he wants before the fight. Once the bell rings he's gonna be disappointed anyway. Rrelating boxing advice he received from Archie Moore on posturing before a fight.

There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people.

There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people.

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.

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.

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

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