Fight Name: | Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Bugner II |
Fight Date: | 1 July 1975 |
Location: | Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
Titles: | WBA, WBC and The Ring undisputed heavyweight championship |
Fighter1: | Muhammad Ali |
Nickname1: | "The Greatest" |
Hometown1: | Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
Purse1: | $2,000,000 |
Record1: | 47–2 (34 KO) |
Height1: | 6 ft 3 in |
Weight1: | 224+1/2 lb |
Style1: | Orthodox |
Recognition1: | WBA, WBC and The Ring undisputed Heavyweight Champion |
Fighter2: | Joe Bugner |
Hometown2: | Szőreg, Southern Great Plain, Hungary |
Purse2: | $500,000 |
Record2: | 51–6–1 (30 KO) |
Height2: | 6 ft 4 in |
Weight2: | 230 lb |
Style2: | Orthodox |
Recognition2: | European Heavyweight Champion |
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]
Winner | Loser | Weight division/title belt(s) disputed | Result | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lionel Rose | Bomber Uchida | Super Feather (10 rounds) | Unanimous decision. | |
Bjorn Rudi | Levi Forte | Heavyweight (6 rounds) | 3rd round KO. |
align=center | Country | align=center | Broadcaster |
---|---|---|---|
KBS 9 | |||
BBC[7] |