Boxing legend Muhammad Ali near death, says his brother Retired boxing champion Muhammad Ali waves alongside his wife Lonnie Ali, left, and his sister-in-law Marilyn Williams, right, after receiving the Liberty Medal during a ceremony at the National Constitution Centre last September. BOXING legend Muhammad Ali is so ill he could be dead within days, his devastated brother has warned. Rahman Ali told The Sun his 71-year-old brother - who is known as The Greatest - cannot speak and no longer recognises him. He's in a bad way. He's very sick," Rahman Ali said. It could be months, it could be days. I don't know if he'll last the summer. He's in God's hands. Former heavyweight boxing champion Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1984. Regarded as one of the greatest sportsmen of all time, he has made many public appearances over the years. He famously lit the flame at the 1996 Olympic Games in one of sport's most memorable moments. Muhammed Ali, known as The Greatest, is regarded as one of sport's true legends. He was seen looking particularly thin and frail at the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony where he was helped across the stage by Lonnie, his wife of 26 years. Rahman Ali has accused Lonnie of tearing the family apart and not allowing him to visit his ailing brother. The brothers, born Cassius and Rudolph Clay, grew up together in Louisville, Kentucky.