Issue 144

August 2016

The night ‘The Greatest’ Muhammad Ali played a pioneering role in MMA’s conception

Muhammad Ali was enjoying his third stint as undisputed heavyweight champion of the world when he traveled to Japan in the summer of 1976 to take on pro wrestler Antonio Inoki in a hybrid ‘exhibition’ match. Lured by an offer of $6 million, ‘The Greatest’ found himself in an ugly precursor to MMA as grappler met striker on the biggest stage for the very first time. However, the sold-out Nippon Budokan crowd – and the millions watching on pay-per-view worldwide – were subjected to a disastrous match as the hastily-rearranged rules barred Ali from jabbing while Inoki was unable to throw, grapple or tackle the GOAT, and could only kick whilst on the canvas. What followed was 15 rounds of Ali circling a grounded Inoki, who was kicking wildly at the champ’s legs. The boxer threw just six punches in total and the match was eventually scored a draw. 

Date: June 1976

Location: Tokyo, Japan