Muhammad Ali in 10 Quotes

Muhammad Ali was never one to mince words.

Once the iconic fighter had an opponent in his sights - whether it was Liston, Frazier, Foreman, racism or the U.S. government - he launched an onslaught of verbal napalm only matched by his punishing blows in the ring.

But Ali's verbiage wasn't limited to biting trash talk or over-the-top declarations of his own merit; the three-time world heavyweight champion, who died on Friday at the age of 74, often proved to be a man of insight.

Here's a look at some of the Louisville Lip's greatest quotes:

On Toughness

"I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick; I'm so mean I make medicine sick."

On Training

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

On (his own) Greatness

"If you even dream of beating me, you better wake up and apologize."

"Not only do I knock 'em out, I pick the round."

"I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark."

• See also: Muhammad Ali's Iconic Rematch with Sonny Liston Almost Happened in Boston
• Six of the Biggest Fights of Muhammad Ali's Career
• Muhammad Ali Surprised World at '96 Olympic Games
• The World Remembers Muhammad Ali, 'The Greatest'
• AND: Where Cassius Clay Discovered Islam

On Learning

"The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life."

On His Job

"It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up."

On Life

"Live every day like it's your last because someday you're going to be right."

On Humility

“At home I am a nice guy: but I don’t want the world to know. Humble people, I’ve found, don’t get very far.”

And of course - On his Fighting Style

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can't hit what the eyes can't see."

What's your favorite Muhammad Ali quote? Let Patch know in the comments below.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons