| Date | 1 July 1975 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title(s) on the line | WBA, WBC and The Ring undisputed heavyweight championship | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tale of the tape | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ali defeated Bugner by 15th round Unanimous Decision | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Bugner II was a professional boxing match contested on 1 July 1975, for the undisputed heavyweight championship. [1]
The 1975 title fight with Bugner was Ali's third title defense since 1974, and was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and remains the only world heavyweight championship fight hosted in the nation's history. Being held in June, the location of the fight was very hot, creating difficulties for both men. [2] The two had fought two years earlier with Ali winning a competitive 12 round Unanimous Decision.
Despite the heat, Ali performed very well, fighting aggressively against the bigger challenger, forcing Joe against the ropes and clinching to prevent counters and also used his now famous rope-a-dope tactic minimally. Bugner lasted the 15 round distance, and once again neither man was knocked down, but Ali won the fight on points by a comfortable margin. [3]
This was Ali's last fight before the famous Thrilla in Manila, a third fight with Ali's arch-rival Joe Frazier. [4] [5]
Confirmed bouts: [6]
| Country | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
 Philippines | KBS |
 United Kingdom | BBC [7] |
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III, billed as the Thrilla in Manila, was the third and final boxing match between undisputed champion Muhammad Ali, and former champion Joe Frazier, for the heavyweight championship of the world. The bout was conceded after fourteen rounds on October 1, 1975, at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines, located in Metro Manila. The venue was temporarily renamed the "Philippine Coliseum" for this match. Ali won by corner retirement (RTD) after Frazier's chief second, Eddie Futch, asked the referee to stop the fight after the 14th round. The contest's name is derived from Ali's rhyming boast that the fight would be "a killa and a thrilla and a chilla, when I get that gorilla in Manila."
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Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Bugner was a professional boxing match contested on February 14, 1973.
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