Muhammad Ali - Boxing legend passes away at 74 after battling with Parkinson's disease for decades

New Delhi: Boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who was fighting for his life at Arizona Hospital passed away today. (WATCH: Best PHOTOs from Muhammad Ali spectacular career)

The 74-year-old had spent last few days at a Phoenix-area hospital, where he was being treated for respiratory complications.

Ali, whose fame transcended sport during a remarkable heavyweight boxing career that spanned three decades, had been hospitalized in the Phoenix, Arizona, area with a respiratory ailment this week.

A family spokesman also confirmed the news in a statement.

"After a 32-year battle with Parkinson`s disease, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74," spokesman Bob Gunnell said.

Known globally not only for his storied ring career but also for his civil rights activism, Ali had been hospitalized multiple times in recent years.

He spent time in hospital in 2014 after suffering a mild case of pneumonia and again in 2015 for a urinary tract infection.

His Parkinson`s, thought to be linked to the thousands of punches he took during a brutal career studded by bruising battles inside the ropes, had limited his public speaking for years.

Ali is a three-time heavyweight champion.

He retired from boxing in 1981 and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s three years later.

President Barack Obama on Saturday led a flood of global tributes for boxing legend Muhammad Ali, as preparations were made for a final farewell to The Champ in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

From political leaders to sports figures to Hollywood`s A-list, the world paused to remember "The Greatest," whose remarkable career spanned three decades, and whose battle with illness later in life moved his fans. 

He was to be buried in Louisville, with funeral arrangements to be announced on Saturday. The city lowered flags to half-staff in his honor early Saturday, as fans flocked to his childhood home, now a museum, to pay their respects.