| Fight Name: | The Inevitable Fight |
| Fight Date: | July 26, 1971 |
| Location: | Astrodome, Houston, Texas |
| Titles: | NABF heavyweight title |
| Fighter1: |  Muhammad Ali |
| Nickname1: | "The Greatest" |
| Hometown1: | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Purse1: | $450,000 |
| Record1: | 31–1 (25 KO) |
| Height1: | 6 ft 3 in |
| Weight1: | 220+1/2 lb |
| Style1: | Orthodox |
| Recognition1: | Former undisputed heavyweight champion |
| Fighter2: | Jimmy Ellis |
| Hometown2: | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Record2: | 30–6 (14 KO) |
| Height2: | 6 ft 0 in |
| Weight2: | 189 lb |
| Style2: | Orthodox |
| Recognition2: | Former WBA heavyweight champion |
| Result: | Ali won via 12th round TKO (2:10) |
Muhammad Ali vs. Jimmy Ellis, billed as The Inevitable Fight, was a professional boxing match contested on July 26, 1971, for the NABF heavyweight championship.[1]
This was Ali's first boxing match after Fight of the Century,[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] and had originally been scheduled as a bout between Wilt Chamberlain, who had challenged him, then trained for the bout with Cus D'Amato, but later withdrew from the fight.[7]
Ali won the bout through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the twelfth round.
Confirmed bouts:[8]
| align=center | Country | align=center | Broadcaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABS-CBN | |||
| BBC |