<P> Five months later, Frazier again battled Jerry Quarry in Madison Square Garden, with a strong left hook to the ribs by Frazier ending the fight in the fifth round . </P> <P> In March 1975, Frazier fought a rematch with Jimmy Ellis in Melbourne, Australia, knocking him out in nine rounds . The win again established Frazier as the number one heavyweight challenger for the title, which Ali had won from George Foreman in the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" five months earlier . </P> <P> Ali and Frazier met for the third and final time in Quezon City (a district within the metropolitan area of Manila), the Philippines, on October 1, 1975: the "Thrilla in Manila". Prior to the fight, Ali took opportunities to mock Frazier by calling him a' "gorilla", and generally trying to irritate him . </P> <P> The fight was a punishing display on both sides under oppressively hot conditions . During the fight, Ali said to Frazier, "They said you were through, Joe ." Frazier said, "They lied ." Ali repeatedly held Frazier around the back of his neck with his right hand, a violation of the rules which went unpunished by the referee although the referee tried several times to "swat" Ali's hand away from the back of Frazier's neck . After 14 grueling rounds, Futch stopped the fight with Frazier having a closed left eye, an almost - closed right eye and a cut . Ali later said that it was the "closest thing to dying that I know of ." In 1977, Ali told interviewer Reg Gutteridge that he felt this third Frazier fight was his best performance . When Gutteridge suggested his win over Cleveland Williams, Ali said, "No, Frazier's much tougher and rougher than Cleveland Williams". </P>

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