I did not take the name, I just named myself Cassius Clay, this is a honorable, Mohammed Ali, given to me by my religious leader and teacher, the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, and I would like to say that Mohammed means in Arabic "one who is worthy of praise" and one praiseworthy, and Ali means the most High, but the slave name Clay meant dirt with no ingredients.

I'm not going to be that kind of a fighter. I'm going to dance and be pretty. I'm just going to win on points.And if I hurt my man I'm going to let him go and I'm not going to kill him just because somebody's watching.

I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given.

I'm gonna have to be killed before I lose, and I ain't going to die easy.

I have to be real cool and not savage and radical, because it makes me angry when I think about it when I see the white boys, who are really the number one citizens, the future rulers.

Fifty years old, 212 fights, and I'm still pretty.

I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'