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Muhammad Ali, 'The People's Champion', was born on 17 January 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. Today, the legendary boxer would have turned 79 years old if he hadn't breathed his last in 2016.
Throughout his exemplary career, both inside and outside the boxing ring, Ali was hailed as a cultural icon, thanks to his philanthropic work and charisma that influenced millions. So much so that the sports fraternity has agreed that there will never be another one like him.
The closest anyone can ever get to Ali - including some of the most successful sports personalities - is by trying to emulating him. Greatness in combat, buckets of charisma and a purpose larger than the fight game are generally qualities that lead to these comparisons. And UFC fighters are no exception to that.
Although emulating Muhammad Ali is one tough act to follow, here are the three UFC stars who have - arguably - done that.
#1 Max Holloway
Max 'Blessed' Holloway delivered a performance for the ages when he got his hand raised at UFC Fight Island 7 against Calvin Kattar. Holloway put on a masterclass, landing 445 significant strikes, which battered his previous record of 290 strikes.
Throughout the 25 minutes, Holloway exhibited 'float like a butterfly, sting like a bee' boxing genius that mildly resembled Muhammad Ali. In a performance that forced former UFC champion Daniel Cormier to claim "Holloway looked like Muhammad Ali tonight," the Hawaii-based fighter pulled out all the stops at the Etihad Arena.
From casually talking to the commentary team while evading five of Calvin Kattar's punches - all the while shouting that he was the best boxer in the UFC - Holloway sure took a page out of Muhammad Ali's book.
#2 Khabib Nurmagomedov
There might not be a resemblance in the fighting style of Muhammad Ali and Khabib Nurmagomedov, but the two greats can be mentioned in the same breath when it comes to being righteous and devout.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, today, is an ideal representation of Muslims all over the world, much like Muhammad Ali was. Nurmagomedov's persona and honorable attitude has often invited comparisons between him and Ali, which he disapproves of.
Speaking to True Gym MMA, Nurmagomedov said that he cannot be compared with legendary boxer.
"The things he (Muhammad Ali) did outside the ring, I can't be compared with that. Yes, at the time, he was champion but his journey to the top was very different to mine... The only common factors between Ali and me is that we are champions and both of us are Muslims," said Nurmagomedov.
#3 Conor McGregor
One of Muhammad Ali's biggest attributes was his ability to wage psychological warfares against his opponents. Ali was also known as 'The Louisville Lip' because he was sharp-tongued and knew how to get into someone's head - something which UFC superstar Conor McGregor has excelled at as well.
Like Muhammad Ali, Conor McGregor uses trash talking as a strategy to get an upper hand before a fight, and does it flawlessly. At one point, UFC President Dana White even stated that he thinks Conor McGregor is better at playing mind games than Ali, which the Irishman respectfully denied later.
"Conor McGregor is the master of mental warfare. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, he’s better than anybody, even Ali. You don’t want to say anybody’s better than Ali, but I think when it comes to the mental war game in this sport, or any other sport, Conor McGregor is the best ever," White told MMAWeekly.com
