UAE resident recalls moment with Muhammad Ali in Dubai where the legendary boxer was to have three exhibition fights

  DUBAI – As the world mourned the death of Muhammad Ali, tributes continued to pour in for the boxing legend who was to be laid to rest on Friday. One of those tributes came from Abu Dhabi-based expatriate Terry Shields, who described Ali as a “great fighter” in a post on social media that received more than 7,300 likes. “I met Muhammad Ali when I was only 25 years old. It was in McDermott’s yard in the heart of Dubai in 1982. The year before he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He was in Dubai for some exhibition fights and I believe the third one was cancelled. A great fighter,” Shields said on LinkedIn. Ali could perhaps be described as the world’s first people’s fighter, proving to be just as endearing outside of the ring as he was on it. In Shield’s picture, Ali was wearing a dark suit and what appeared to be a polka dot tie. Ali was surrounded by several workers wearing a hard hat, including Shields, who was wearing a white polo shirt and a white hard hat. shields1 Ali died on June 3 of septic shock in an Arizona hospital, following more than three decades of battling with Parkinson’s disease. He was 74. He is to be laid to rest on Friday. At his prime, Ali was a brilliant fighter who often stoked controversy with brash talk against his opponents. Several of his fights were promoted abroad, including “Thrilla in Manila” with Joe Frazier in 1975 and in the UAE, where he was scheduled to have three exhibition fights in 1982. The 1982 fights were held in Al Nasr Leisureland in Dubai where an improvised boxing ring was erected. Ali was billed to fight three rounds each with James "Jimmy" Ellis on December 3 and against West German heavyweight Reiner Hartmann two days later. The fights were organised and promoted by Emirati Juma Ganem. Tickets cost Dh30 to Dh200. aliposter It was not the first time that “The Greatest” Ali had been to the UAE. The boxer, whose name was Cassius Clay before he became a Muslim, often passed through the UAE on his trips to Makkah in Saudi Arabia for the Umrah pilgrimage. Muslim funeral On Thursday, Ali’s Muslim funeral drew thousands of fans to the boxer’s hometown of Louiseville, Kentucky. Ali and his family planned his funeral for 10 years, making sure it would honour the Muslim faith while also adapting to the demands of Western culture. Ali was due to be buried on Friday, after a funeral procession and before a tribute where thousands are expected to gather for an interfaith service. ICA/Expat 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