# Settle an argument: Bruce Lee fights Muhammad Ali. Who wins?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-an-argument-bruce-lee-fights-muhammad-ali-who-wins/606952>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 21, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-an-argument-bruce-lee-fights-muhammad-ali-who-wins/606952 "2011-12-21T15:51:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-an-argument-bruce-lee-fights-muhammad-ali-who-wins/606952/1 "2011-12-21T15:51:23Z")

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One of the arguments for the ages, I want it settled. Been discussed here on the Dope 10 (!) years ago but I want to see what prevailing opinion is now.

Assume both men are in their prime; the world’s most legendary martial artist against the world’s most legendary boxer… Two scenarios; one is in the ring, for sport and glory, supervised.

The other, a street fight where both men are fighting for their lives, unsupervised and no rules.

I have a very strong feeling that one of these combatants would murder the other in either scenario, but I want to see opinion and the case for the other fighter.

I personally think Ali would trounce the smaller Lee in either scenario.

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**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-an-argument-bruce-lee-fights-muhammad-ali-who-wins/606952/2 "2011-12-21T15:55:08Z")

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I’m confused about what we’re supposed to do with ‘in the ring’ or ‘on the street’ - we can only vote for one option.

At any rate, Muhammad Ali weighs about twice as much as Bruce Lee, and in his _prime_ (before the ban, when his name was Cassius Clay), was just as unbelievably fast as Lee. Plus, we know he could take punishment from later fights.

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**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-an-argument-bruce-lee-fights-muhammad-ali-who-wins/606952/3 "2011-12-21T15:56:40Z")

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> [@bup](#):
>
> I’m confused about what we’re supposed to do with ‘in the ring’ or ‘on the street’ - we can only vote for one option.

Shite, I meant to make this multiple choice, must have missed the checkmark. Bloody polls, man! Reported for close.

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**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-an-argument-bruce-lee-fights-muhammad-ali-who-wins/606952/4 "2011-12-21T16:32:09Z")

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I hate to break this to you, but Bruce Lee is dead, and Ali is in no condition to fight anybody.

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**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-an-argument-bruce-lee-fights-muhammad-ali-who-wins/606952/5 "2011-12-21T16:32:22Z")

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Closed at request of OP.