Rahman Ali, born Rudolph Valentino Clay, has lived in the shadow of his renowned brother, Muhammad Ali, for his entire life, but it was not a burden for him. In fact, the two brothers were as close as siblings could be, with Rahman being two years older than his brother, Cassius Marcellus Clay.
Both brothers became involved in the amateur boxing program in Louisville after young Cassius's bike was stolen, and they excelled in the sport. When it came time to attempt to qualify for the 1960 Olympic team, Cassius fought in the 175-pound Division, allowing his brother to compete in the Heavyweight bracket. History would later reveal that Cassius went on to the Olympics, while Rudolph did not.
After participating in over 100 amateur fights, Rudy, his nickname, turned professional on February 25, 1964, the same night his brother defeated Sonny Liston for the World Heavyweight Title. Prior to his professional boxing career, Rahman became a Black Muslim and is said to have introduced his brother to the ministry. Both men subsequently changed their names to Muslim names, with Rahman adopting the name Rahaman.
Rahaman remained undefeated for six years, but after suffering back-to-back losses to Roy Dean Wallace and Jack O'Halloran in 1972, he retired from boxing. His professional record stood at 13-3-1, with six knockouts. Despite his retirement from the sport, Rahaman remains close to his brother and has participated in countless boxing exhibitions alongside him over the years.
