Rahaman Ali
Rahaman Ali | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 18, 1943 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | August 1, 2025 (aged 82) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Resting place | Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville Kentucky |
| Nationality | American |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 18 |
| Wins | 14 |
| Wins by KO | 7 |
| Losses | 3 |
| Draws | 1 |
| No contests | 0 |
Rahaman Ali[a] (born Rudolph Arnett Clay; July 18, 1943 – August 1, 2025) was an American heavyweight boxer. He was the younger brother of Muhammad Ali.
Biography
Rahaman Ali, initially named Rudolph Arnett Clay but later rechristened to Rudolph Valentino Clay,[2] was born to Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay on July 18, 1943, 18 months after his brother Cassius Jr., who would become Muhammad Ali.[1][2] Muhammad started boxing in a Louisville, Kentucky, amateur boxing league. While Muhammad went to the 1960 Olympics, Rahaman was not selected and remained amateur until February 25, 1964, the night his brother won one of his heavyweight titles over Sonny Liston.
His professional career would last from 1964 to 1972.[5]
As a professional boxer, Rahaman Ali won 14 bouts, lost 3, and had one draw. In his career, he knocked out seven opponents and was himself knocked out once. He retired from professional boxing after back-to-back losses, the second of which saw him being knocked out by future Superman film series actor Jack O'Halloran in what would also be his only stoppage defeat.[6][3][7][3]
After his career ended, Rahaman would travel, and also train, with Muhammad.[5] He would later appear as himself in his brother's 1977 biopic The Greatest.
In 2014, Ali released his autobiography, That's Muhammad Ali's Brother! My Life on the Undercard, which was co-authored by H. Ron Brashear and the foreword written by Gene Kilroy – the longtime business manager of Muhammad Ali. In 2019, Rahaman released his second book titled My Brother, Muhammad Ali - The Definitive Biography. It was co-authored by Fiaz Rafiq, with the foreword written by NFL legend Jim Brown. In 2021, he appeared in the documentary Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali.[8] The same year, he appeared in three episodes of his brother's documentary miniseries Muhammad Ali.
Death
Rahaman Ali died on August 1, 2025, two weeks after his 82nd birthday.[5] Ali's funeral was held on August 16, 2025, and involved a funeral procession where he made a stop at his childhood home before he had a Janazah funeral service, which is given for people of Muslim faith, at the Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.[9][10] Ali would then be buried at the Cave Hill Cemetery.[9]
Professional boxing record
Exhibition boxing record
| 1 fight | 0 wins | 0 losses |
|---|---|---|
| Non-scored | 1 | |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | 0–0 (1) |  Muhammad Ali
|
— | 2 | Jul 1, 1972 | Los Angeles, California, U.S.
|
Non-scored bout |
Notes
References
- ^ a b c Ali, Rahaman; Brashear, H. Ron (December 29, 2014). That's Muhammad Ali's Brother!; My Life on the Undercard. Page Publishing. ISBN 978-1634175326. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Olsen, Jack (April 11, 1966). "A case of conscience". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Boxing record for Rahman Ali". BoxRec.com. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ Ali, Rahaman; Rafiq, Fiaz (October 9, 2020). My Brother, Muhammad Ali: The Definitive Biography. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1538142448.
- ^ a b c "Rahaman Ali, Younger Brother of Muhammad Ali, Dies At 82". Muhammad Ali Center. 2 August 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
- ^ Brookes, Sam (August 4, 2025). "Rahaman Ali, younger brother of Muhammad Ali, dies aged 82". DAZN. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ "Rahaman Ali, younger brother of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, dies at 82". news.az. August 4, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
- ^ "Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali". IMDB. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
- ^ a b "Rahaman Ali". Newcomer Kentuckiana Funeral Home. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
- ^ Shanklin, Sherlene (August 6, 2025). "Rahaman Ali's Janazah service announced". The VIPP Report. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
External links
- Rahaman Ali at IMDb
- Boxing record for Rahaman Ali from BoxRec (registration required)
