The Rumble in the Jungle nearly half of the UK's 56million population in 1974. The Rumble in the Jungle is one of Ali's most famous fights, ranking alongside 1971's Fight of the Century between the unbeaten former champion Ali and the unbeaten then heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, and the pair's final match, the Thrilla in Manila in 1975. The Rumble in the Jungle remains a large cultural influence. Ali was a very endearing figure to the people of Zaire, and his mind games played out well, turning the native people in his favour and against Foreman. A popular chant of theirs, leading up to and
Joe Frazier vs. George Foreman defending that title four times before knocking out Jimmy Ellis to claim the vacant WBA and WBC titles in 1970 that had been stripped from Muhammad Ali. Frazier's most notable defense would come against Ali himself in what was billed as the "Fight of the Century." After defeating Ali by unanimous decision, Frazier captured "The Ring" heavyweight title and became recognized as the lineal champion. In between his first Ali fight and his bout with Foreman, Frazier successfully defended his title twice against fringe contenders Terry Daniels and Ron Stander. Following his knockout of Stander, Ali attempted to gain a