Thrilla in Manila
The third fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, better known as the Thrilla in Manila, took place Oct. 1, 1975. Pictured is Ali after being knocked down by Frazier in their first bout, March 8, 1971. AFP

Joe Frazier handed Muhammad Ali his first loss as a professional boxer March 8, 1971, at New York's Madison Square Garden in what was dubbed the Fight of the Century. After Ali evened up the series Jan. 28, 1974, everything was lined up for a third fight to determine who was the best. In what would be known as the Thrilla in Manila, which Ali hyped with plenty of trash talk, the heavyweights squared off at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines, Oct. 1, 1975.

Ali had been suspended from the sport from 1967 to 1970 due to his draft resistance during the Vietnam War. Ali, stripped of his heavyweight titles, fought to get the belts back. Frazier was the undefeated champion coming into the 1971 fight and Ali had his own unblemished record. Frazier earned a 15-round unanimous decision to retain the heavyweight championship.

After suffering his first loss, Ali won 10 straight fights before losing to Ken Norton on March 31, 1973. Frazier won two fights before getting knocked out by George Foreman on Jan. 22, 1973. Ali beat Norton on Sept. 10, 1973, followed by another victory against Rudie Lubbers Oct. 20, 1973. Frazier would bounce back with a win against Joe Bugner to set up a second fight with Ali, on Jan. 28, 1974. Frazier would lose while Ali would go on to defeat Foreman in "the Rumble in the Jungle" on Oct. 30, 1974.

By the time the Thrilla in Manila rolled around, the fighters had a strong rivalry. Ali would push the ill will further with incendiary insults, according to the Guardian. "It will be a killer, and a thriller, and a chiller when I get the gorilla in Manila," Ali said during a press conference.

The third Ali-Frazier match had plenty of drama and action. "Ali dominated early, then Frazier, then Ali, before these fast-aging throwbacks entered into a mutual destruction pact, ignoring all consequences, pounding each other with arms steadily drained of sharpness but laden still with bad intentions," the Guardian's Kevin Mitchell wrote of the battle.

Ali would gain the upper hand with knockdowns of Frazier in the 13th and 14th rounds. Frazier's trainer, Eddie Futch, would stop the fight before the 15th round. "No one will forget what you did here today," Futch said to Frazier, according to ESPN. Both fighters would retire in 1981.