▁to ▁mark ▁Ali ' s ▁final ▁ret irement ▁after ▁which ▁Ali ▁predicted ▁a ▁great ▁future ▁for ▁the ▁Z amb ian . ▁By ▁this ▁time , ▁M w ale ▁was ▁being ▁managed ▁by ▁Wil fred ▁S auer land ▁and ▁trained ▁by ▁George ▁Francis . ▁Later ▁that ▁year , ▁he ▁defeated ▁African ▁Box ing ▁Union ▁( AB U ) ▁champion ▁Bag ay uk o ▁S oun k alo ▁of ▁M ali ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁contin ental ▁title ▁and ▁prepare ▁himself ▁for ▁the ▁World ▁Box ing ▁Council ▁title ▁fight . ▁After ▁ 5 ▁consecutive ▁wins ▁including ▁three ▁vict ories ▁over ▁Americans ▁Fred ▁Brown , ▁J esse ▁Burn ett ▁and ▁Ed ▁Turner , ▁M w ale ▁won ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁challenge ▁W BC ▁light - he avy weight ▁champion ▁Matthew ▁Sa ad ▁Muhammad . ▁ ▁The ▁two ▁squ ared ▁up ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁November ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁in ▁San ▁Diego ▁with ▁M w ale ▁domin ating ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁r ounds ▁only ▁to ▁wa ver ▁in ▁the ▁third ▁round ▁and ▁then ▁he ▁got ▁knock ed ▁out ▁in ▁the ▁fourth ▁round , ▁the ▁first ▁loss ▁of ▁his ▁professional ▁career . ▁After wards , ▁M w ale ▁admitted ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁got ten ▁care less ▁after ▁catch ing ▁Muhammad ▁with ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁sh ots ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁r ounds , ▁and ▁taking ▁it ▁for ▁granted ▁that ▁his ▁oppon ent ▁would ▁not ▁last ▁the ▁distance . ▁“ I ▁wanted ▁to ▁show ▁that ▁I ▁could ▁fight ▁him ▁but ▁he ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁stronger ▁than ▁me .”