Sugar Ray Leonard has revealed who he views as his favourite ever fighter.

Leonard comes to mind for many fans when they discuss their most-loved boxers, but the legendary figure had another popular choice in mind for his selection.

That’s because he has named Muhammad Ali as his all-time favourite fighter – and it has nothing to do with his brilliance inside the ring.

Ali’s legacy is not only because of his fighting exploits, but also due to the American’s engaging personality, which contributed to him becoming one of the most recognisable athletes of all time.

In terms of his career itself, though, it is hardly surprising that Ali is considered by many as the greatest heavyweight of all time, even if others would argue the No.1 spot belongs to Joe Louis.

Perhaps most notably, Ali overcame a torrid eight-round battle with George Foreman, a considerable pre-fight favourite, to reclaim his WBC world title in 1974.

Prior to that, he had exacted his revenge over Joe Frazier with a 12-round unanimous decision victory, before completing their iconic trilogy with a ‘Thrilla in Manila’ triumph in 1975.

With wins over the likes of Earnie Shavers and Ken Norton, too, Ali is widely credited and revered for facing the most formidable contenders of his generation.

For Leonard, though, it is mainly Ali’s larger-than-life character that he gravitated towards, highlighting this as the reason for naming the heavyweight legend as his favourite fighter of all time.

“Muhammad Ali. He was bigger than life. He caught my eye, no pun intended.”

Elsewhere in his Q&A with Mark Baldwin, which appeared in Boxing News’ latest issue, Leonard also named his favourite fight of all time.

“When Muhammad Ali fought the beast, George Foreman – and beat him.”

To read the full Q&A with Leonard and more exclusive interviews, get the latest edition of Boxing News Magazine.