Muhammad Ali vs. Jean-Pierre Coopman

Challenger rankings

Org.	Pos.	As of	Published
1+ Mth. Old
WBA	N/A	N/A	N/A
WBC	N/A	N/A	N/A
Ring	NR	~15.09.1975	12.10-06.11.1975
2+ Mth. Old
WBA	N/A	N/A	N/A
WBC	NR	30.09.1975	02.10.1975
Ring	NR	15.08.1975	14.08-16.10.1975
3+ Mth. Old
WBA	NR	31.08.1975	02.09.1975
WBC	NR	31.08.1975	02.09.1975
Ring	NR	15.07.1975	12.07-07.09.1975

Muhammad Ali 226 lbs beat Jean Pierre Coopman 206 lbs by KO at 2:46 in round 5 of 15

• Date: 1976-02-20
• Location: Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Referee: Ismael Quinones Falu
• Judge: Roberto Ramirez Sr
• Judge: Ismael Fernandez

• World Boxing Council Heavyweight Title (5th defense by Ali)
  
• World Boxing Association Heavyweight Title (5th defense by Ali)
  
• Photo: Ali lands a right against Coopman
• Photo: Ali drops Coopman

Quotes

• "Ali can't psyche him because he can't understand a word Ali says." - Coopman's manager before the fight
• "It ain't nothing to brag about. He ain't a great fighter." - Ali after knocking out Coopman

Notes

• On December 18-19 it was reported that Ali had not yet signed a contract for his next title defense,[1][2] however television producer Dirk Summers said on December 18 during the announcement of Ken Norton's fight against Pedro Lovell that Ali would be at ringside for the fight and accept the challenge from the winner.[3][4][5]
• On December 22, 1975, boxing agent George Kanter, who represented Coopman in the negotiations, announced in New York that contracts between Ali and Coopman had been signed, through the site was yet to be determined.[6][7]
• Coopman was scheduled to fight Richard Dunn on January 20 for the European Boxing Union heavyweight title; the announcement put the fight in jeopardy. Dunn's manager George Biddles criticized the matchup and accused Ali of avoiding Dunn due to him being a southpaw (Ali was in negotiations with Dunn to schedule a fight in a spring of 1976).[8][9] Dunn's promoter Henry Levene said "Now let's see if the European Boxing Union has any teeth."[10]
• On December 23, secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control Ray Clarke reported that the EBU general secretary Piero Pini had told him that the organization would ban the fight.[11] Pini himself confimed that the next day.[12] On December 29, EBU announced that Coopman would be disqualified from the EBU title contention if he proceeded with the Ali fight.[13]
• On December 27, chairman of the WBA Championship Committee Bill Brennan announced that WBA would sanction the fight.[14]
• The bout was formally announced on January 7, with Puerto Rico confirmed as the location.[15][16]
• This was the first, and as of 2025, only world heavyweight championship bout ever held in the country of Puerto Rico.
• Ali earned $1 million, while Coopman received $300,000. However, according to Ali, after taxes, expenses for the title defense and payment to his manager, he was only left with $200,000.

Jabs	Ali	Coopman
Landed	52	4
Thrown	152	88
Percent	34.2%	4.5%
Power Punches	Ali	Coopman
Landed	70	29
Thrown	139	109
Percent	50.4%	26.6%
Total Punches	Ali	Coopman
Landed	122	33
Thrown	291	197
Percent	41.9%	16.8%
compuboxonline.com

Article

• "One-Nighter In San Juan" by Mark Kram, Sports Illustrated, March 1, 1976

Preceded by: Ali vs. Frazier III	WBA Heavyweight Title Fight # 24	Succeeded by: Ali vs. Young
Preceded by: Ali vs. Frazier III	WBC Heavyweight Title Fight # 25	Succeeded by: Ali vs. Young