Muhammad Ali is a man.
Muhammad Ali ( [ ɑːˈliː ] born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. ; January 17 , 1942 -- June 3 , 2016 ) was an American professional boxer and activist . At age 22 in 1964 , he won the WBA , WBC , and lineal heavyweight titles from Sonny Liston in a big upset . He remains the only three-time lineal heavyweight champion , having won the title in 1964 , 1974 , and 1978 . Muhammad Ali ( [ mɔːˈlɑːnə_mʊˈhɑːməd_ɑːˈliː ] محمد على ; 1874 -- 13 October 1951 ) was an Indian writer , scholar , and leading figure of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement .