Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

vs.

Jimmy Ellis Jimmy Ellis may refer to: * Jimmy Ellis (boxer) (1940–2014), American boxer * Jimmy "Orion" Ellis (1945–1998), American singer * Jimmy "Preacher" Ellis (born 1935), American musician * Jimmy Ellis (1938–2012), lead singer of The Trammps * Ji ...

, billed as ''The Inevitable Fight'', was a professional boxing match contested on July 26, 1971, for the NABF heavyweight championship.

Background

This was Ali's first boxing match after

Fight of the Century Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali, billed as ''The Fight Of The Century'' or simply ''The Fight'', was a heavyweight championship boxing match between WBA, WBC, and ''The Ring'' heavyweight champion Joe Frazier and former undisputed heavyweight champ ...

, and had originally been scheduled as a bout between Wilt Chamberlain, who had challenged him, then trained for the bout with Cus D'Amato, but later withdrew from the fight.

The fight

Ali won the bout through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the twelfth round.

Undercard

Confirmed bouts:

Broadcasting

References

1971 in boxing 1971 in sports in Texas July 1971 sports events in the United States

Ellis Ellis is a surname of Welsh and English origin. Retrieved 21 January 2014 An independent French origin of the surname is said to derive from the phrase fleur-de-lis. Surname A * Abe Ellis (Stargate), a fictional character in the TV series ' ...

Boxing matches in Houston Boxing on BBC {{boxing-stub