5 best Muhammad Ali fights of all-time

5. Ali vs. Leon Spinks 2 – September 15, 1978

It’s only fitting that Muhammad Ali’s last ever win was for the world championship. He was 36, but he had also absorbed thousands of punches and was headed towards the decline of his career. Yet despite all that, Leon Spinks’ upset of him is still one of the biggest in the sport.

Ali was expecting an easy fight, but the sharper, younger, and fresher Spinks was up to the challenge, as he outboxed Ali and left a mark on his face. With the win, Spinks became the heavyweight champion in just eight fights, and his smile was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

However, Spinks proved to be a one-hit wonder, as he was very inconsistent over the course of his career, and when they met again, he dropped the second contest. This time, Ali was much sharper and more determined to win. He even stated that he “killed himself to get ready for Spinks.” He rarely lost control, and for a moment, it felt like Ali was in his prime again.

He was the first person to become the three-time heavyweight champion and announced his retirement before the contest. While his legacy was already intact no matter what he did, it would’ve been better had it stayed that way, because, after that, his career ended with two duds against Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick.

The former is an extremely hard fight to watch, as his body was already going, and he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, yet still challenged Holmes for the heavyweight title since he needed money. Anyone who watched it will have a hard time erasing it from their memory, but it still came after this win over Spinks, which represents a rare moment of success in the latter part of his career.

Next: 4. The Fight of the Century