who beat muhammad ali

Muhammad Ali was beaten by five opponents in his professional career:
Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes, and Trevor Berbick.

Key losses at a glance

• Joe Frazier – first man to beat Ali, March 8, 1971, “Fight of the Century,” unanimous decision over 15 rounds.

• Ken Norton – broke Ali’s jaw and won by split decision on March 31, 1973.

• Leon Spinks – upset Ali on February 15, 1978, split decision, becoming heavyweight champion with only a handful of pro fights.

• Larry Holmes – stopped an older Ali in 1980 in a one‑sided bout when Holmes was in his prime.

• Trevor Berbick – gave Ali his final professional loss on December 11, 1981, by unanimous decision over 10 rounds.

Short HTML table of who beat Muhammad Ali

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Opponent</th>
      <th>Date</th>
      <th>Result type</th>
      <th>Notes</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Joe Frazier</td>
      <td>March 8, 1971</td>
      <td>Unanimous decision (15 rounds)</td>
      <td>First man to beat Ali; “Fight of the Century”.[web:1][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Ken Norton</td>
      <td>March 31, 1973</td>
      <td>Split decision</td>
      <td>Broke Ali’s jaw; start of their three‑fight rivalry.[web:1][web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Leon Spinks</td>
      <td>February 15, 1978</td>
      <td>Split decision (15 rounds)</td>
      <td>Shocked Ali to win the heavyweight title with very little pro experience.[web:1][web:3][web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Larry Holmes</td>
      <td>October 1980</td>
      <td>Corner retirement / stoppage</td>
      <td>Dominant win over an aging Ali; Ali fell short of a fourth world title.[web:3][web:8][web:10]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Trevor Berbick</td>
      <td>December 11, 1981</td>
      <td>Unanimous decision (10 rounds)</td>
      <td>Ali’s final fight and final defeat as a pro.[web:1][web:10]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Ali’s legend is built not just on his wins, but on how these rare defeats fit into a career of 56 fights, world titles, and historic trilogies that kept his name in debates long after he retired.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.