Chris Eubank has described Muhammad Ali as the "father of boxing" and a "beacon".
Brighton's former two-weight world champion has joined the tributes to the sporting legend who has died aged 74.
The three-time world heavyweight champion died at a hospital in the US city of Phoenix, Arizona, after being admitted on Thursday.
He was suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by his long battle with Parkinson's disease.
Eubank said: "He said he was the greatest and he proved he was.
"Everyone was talking against him but he smiled and stayed positive - that was so inspirational to me."
Nicknamed "The Greatest", the American beat Sonny Liston in 1964 to win his first world title and became the first boxer to capture a world heavyweight title on three separate occasions.
He eventually retired in 1981, having won 56 of his 61 fights.
Former rival George Foreman said: "Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest human beings I have ever met. No doubt he was one of the best people to have lived in this day and age."
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