Laila Ali facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laila Ali
Ali in 2017
Born	Laila Amaria Ali (1977-12-30) December 30, 1977 (age 47) Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
Alma mater	Santa Monica College
Spouse(s)	Yahya McClain ​ ​ (m. 2000; div. 2005)​ Curtis Conway ​ ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	2
Parent(s)	Muhammad Ali (father)
Relatives	Rahaman Ali (uncle) Nico Ali Walsh (nephew)
Laila Ali Statistics Nickname(s) She Bee ' Madame Butterfly Pretty Baby Rated at Super middleweight Light heavyweight Height 5 ft 9+3⁄4 in (177.2 cm) Reach 70+1⁄2 in (179 cm) Stance Orthodox Boxing record Total fights 24 Wins 24 Wins by KO 21 Losses 0

Laila Amaria Ali (born December 30, 1977) is an American television star and a former professional boxer. She competed from 1999 to 2007 and retired without ever losing a fight! During her boxing career, she held several important titles, including the WBC, WIBA, IWBF, and IBA female super middleweight titles. She also held the IWBF light heavyweight title. Many people in the sport believe Laila Ali is one of the greatest female boxers of all time. She is the daughter of the famous boxer Muhammad Ali.

Early Life and Education

Laila Amaria Ali was born on December 30, 1977, in Miami Beach, Florida. Her parents were the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali and his third wife, Veronica Porché. Laila's parents divorced when she was nine years old.

As a teenager, Laila faced some challenges growing up. She worked as a manicurist at age 16. She later earned a business degree from California's Santa Monica College. Before she started boxing, she even owned her own nail salon. Her father, Muhammad Ali, was not happy about her decision to become a boxer at first. He felt that boxing was not a sport for women.

Boxing Career Highlights

Laila Ali started boxing when she was 18 years old. She first became interested in women's boxing after watching a fight featuring Christy Martin. Laila announced her plan to become a professional boxer on the TV show Good Morning America. Her father was worried about her entering such a tough sport.

First Fights and Growing Fame

Laila's first professional boxing match was on October 8, 1999. She fought April Fowler in Verona, New York. Many reporters and fans came to watch, mostly because she was Muhammad Ali's daughter. Laila won her first fight by knocking out Fowler in the first round. She also won her second match by a TKO.

Laila won nine fights in a row. Fans became excited and wanted to see her fight the daughters of other famous boxers, like Freeda Foreman (George Foreman's daughter) or Jacqui Frazier-Lyde (Joe Frazier's daughter).

Ali vs. Frazier IV

On June 8, 2001, Laila Ali and Jacqui Frazier-Lyde finally fought. Their match was called Ali/Frazier IV, a nod to the famous fights between their fathers. Laila won the fight by a majority decision after eight rounds. This was a big moment because it was the first time two women headlined a pay-per-view boxing event.

Winning Championships

After a short break, Laila continued her winning streak. On August 17, 2002, she won the IBA title by knocking out Suzette Taylor. Later that year, on November 8, she won the WIBA and IWBF belts, becoming a unified champion.

Laila fought Valerie Mahfood twice, winning both times by TKO. She also fought her original inspiration, Christy Martin, on August 23, 2003, winning by knockout in four rounds. Laila kept defending her titles, showing her strength and skill in the ring.

Undefeated Retirement

On June 11, 2005, Laila Ali defeated Erin Toughill and won the World Boxing Council title, while also defending her WIBA crown. She was only the second woman to win a WBC title. Laila continued to win, defeating Åsa Sandell in December 2005 and Shelley Burton in November 2006.

Her last professional fight was on February 2, 2007, in South Africa, where she defeated Gwendolyn O'Neil by technical knockout in the first round. Laila Ali retired from boxing with an amazing undefeated record of 24 wins and 0 losses.

Professional Boxing Record

Championships and Awards

Laila Ali earned many titles and awards during her impressive career:

• 2012: AOCA Awakening Outstanding Contribution Award
• 2005-2007: WBC World Super Middleweight title (she defended it twice)
• 2002-2007: WIBA World Super Middleweight title (she defended it five times)
• 2004: IWBF Female Light Heavyweight title
• 2002-2004: IWBF Female Super Middleweight title (she defended it twice)
• 2002-2004: IBA Female Super Middleweight title (she defended it four times)

Television Appearances

After her boxing career, Laila Ali became a well-known television personality.

Ali modeling at the 2011 Heart Truth fashion show

Early TV Roles

In 2000, Laila played herself in an episode of The Jersey. She also appeared as herself on the sitcoms One on One and Girlfriends in 2002. She was in a music video for the band Default's song "Deny". In 2004, she appeared on the George Lopez show and Real Husbands of Hollywood.

Dancing with the Stars

In 2007, Laila Ali joined Dancing with the Stars for its fourth season. She had no dancing experience before the show. Laila and her dance partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, were very popular with the judges. They even received the first perfect "10" score from judge Len Goodman for their rumba dance. They finished in third place in the competition.

Dancing with the Stars performances

Hosting and Other Shows

Laila Ali co-hosted the TV show American Gladiators with Hulk Hogan in 2008. She also became a correspondent for The Early Show on CBS. She hosted The N's Student Body, a reality show.

In 2012, Laila co-hosted Everyday Health, a show about people living with health issues. She also appeared in a Kohl's commercial. From August to September 2012, she was a contestant on the NBC show Stars Earn Stripes.

In 2013, Laila appeared on The Biggest Loser and co-hosted several episodes of Fashion Police. She participated in Celebrity Wife Swap in 2014 and competed on Chopped: All Stars. She began hosting All In with Laila Ali on CBS and Late Night Chef Fight on FYI.

Ali in an interview with WHTA in 2024

Since 2017, Laila Ali has hosted the DIY series Home Made Simple on the Oprah Winfrey Network. In 2019, she was a contestant on The Masked Singer as "Panda." In 2020, she voiced herself in an episode of Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?.

Personal Life

In 2002, Laila Ali wrote a book called Reach! Finding Strength, Spirit, and Personal Power with co-author David Ritz. In the book, she shared that she sometimes felt alone because of her father's fame.

Laila Ali married Johnny "Yahya" McClain in 2000, but they divorced in 2005. On July 23, 2007, she married former NFL player Curtis Conway in Los Angeles. They have two children together: a son born in August 2008 and a daughter born in April 2011. Laila is also a stepmother to Curtis Conway's three children from a previous relationship.

See also

In Spanish: Laila Ali para niños