Rahaman Ali, the younger brother of Muhammad Ali and a former boxer, has died at the age of 82, the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, said Saturday.
Rahaman died on Friday, Aug. 1, the nonprofit museum dedicated to the boxing legend said. His cause of death was not released.
Born as Rudolph Arnett Clay, Rahaman was a year and a half younger than his older brother. In their little pink house in Louisville’s west end, the brothers liked to wrestle and play cards and shoot hoops. He looked up to his big brother, following in his path when Rahaman became a professional boxer in the heavyweight class from 1964 to 1972.
When Muhammad died in 2016, Rahaman recalled him as “a really sweet, kind, loving, giving, affectionate, wonderful person.”
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After he retired from boxing, Rahaman often traveled with Muhammad and trained with him, according to the Muhammad Ali Center.
“Rahaman was his brother’s biggest supporter,” the nonprofit’s statement said.
In 2014, Rahaman Ali released a book titled “That’s Muhammad Ali’s Brother! My Life on the Undercard.” It was co-authored by boxing writer and columnist H. Ron Brashear. Rahaman Ali also penned a second book titled “My Brother, Muhammad Ali – The Definitive Biography” in 2019.
“You can’t tell Muhammad’s story without mentioning Rahaman,” said DeVone Holt, President and CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center said in a statement. “He was one of the most constant sources of support for Muhammad during this career and their relationship was a true example of what it means to be ‘my brother’s keeper.'”
Rahaman Ali’s funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date, the organization said.
