Muhammad Ali: The Greatest Pictures - Photo Gallery - LIFE

“In February of 1964,” Leifer told LIFE, “Muhammad — or, rather, Cassius Clay, which was still his name at that point — got his shot at the heavyweight crown against Sonny Liston. I was 21 years old, and it was one of the great thrills of my life — not only because I was photographing a title bout but because the other photographers there were Hy Peskin, Marvin Newman, and John Zimmerman, three of my heroes. It was a special night, and I was lucky enough to get the cover shot for Sports Illustrated. This is one of two pictures that came out of the fight that I’m really proud of — a young Cassius Clay looking as good as he’s ever looked. That power, that presence—you really can see here what a beautiful athlete he was.”