WATCH: When UFC fighter turned into Muhammad Ali and stunned the world with ICONIC shuffle

Rafael Alves makes the iconic Muhammad Ali shuffle move against Drew Dober after dodging several punches.

WATCH: When UFC fighter turned into Muhammad Ali and stunned the world with ICONIC shuffle

Rafael Alves and Muhammad Ali

In the third round of the main event of UFC 277, Rafael Alves lost to Drew Dober via a body shot KO that ended the fight. Before his loss at UFC 277, Alves had already had a bumpy beginning to his UFC career. Furthermore, Alves, who was originally signed to the UFC at featherweight but missed weight by a whopping 11.5 pounds. This was right ahead of what was supposed to be his official UFC debut.

Subsequently, Alves moved on to the lightweight division and lost by unanimous decision in his first fight. After which, Alves bounced back in the first-round submission victory against Marc Diakiese. He came into his UFC 277 bout with Dober looking for his first win on a PPV card. Alves knew very little about Dober’s entry into the fight, but he could not capitalize on it and was ultimately lost. However, he was able to stun fans with his amazing performance and even did Muhammad Ali’s shuffle move.

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Hence, Alves could dodge several consecutive punches that Dober threw when Alves was cornered in the octagon. Alves remained confident, and his reflexes were on point as he dodged every punch. Furthermore, after receiving the sequence of combination punches from Dober, Alves bravely did the iconic Ali shuffle.

The shuffle was Ali’s trademark move, which Ali would do inside the ring to reflect his incredible speed. Hence, Alves paid homage to Ali by recreating his move inside the octagon after a masterful dusk of dodging.

Muhammad Ali’s iconic Ali Shuffle

Ali, one of the GOAT, was known for his unique boxing style and techniques, including his famous footwork and “Ali Shuffle.” The Ali Shuffle was a quick and flashy movement of his feet, often performed to taunt and confuse his opponents.

Muhammad Ali's shuffle
Muhammad Ali’s shuffle (image credit- X)

Ali would start in his boxing stance, with his feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and weight on the balls of his feet. Furthermore, known for his quick footwork, Ali would bounce lightly on the balls of his feet. This helped him stay mobile and ready to move in any direction inside the ring. To execute the shuffle, Ali would shift his weight from one foot to the other, creating a rapid and rhythmic movement.

The shuffle involved a side-to-side movement where Ali would slide one foot forward. After this, Ali would move back, creating a sort of sliding dance motion. While performing the shuffle, Ali would often accompany it with quick hand movements. Subsequently, he was throwing jabs or moving his gloves in a show of confidence and bravado.

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