#10 Ali was also the pioneer of MMA as we know it today
In 1976, Muhammad Ali took on Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki at Nippon Budokan arena in Tokyo on June 26, 1976. The reigning WBC/WBA Heavyweight Champion was given a tough fight by Inoki who had been staging exhibition fights against champions of various martial arts, in an attempt to show that pro wrestling was the dominant fighting discipline. This fight fought under special rules was seen as a precursor to modern Mixed Martial Arts.
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