Leifer’s work has gone far beyond the squared circle. He has also photographed 16 Olympic Games, 12 Super Bowls, numerous World Series games and four FIFA World Cups, four American presidents and two wars.

While he doesn’t want to pigeonhole his work to just boxing, he admits the one photo that’s become his legacy is Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston after knocking him out in the first round of their rematch in 1965.

As iconic as that photo was, it wasn’t the cover of the magazine that came out after the fight. However, in 1999, the photo got the credit it deserved when it graced the cover of SI’s issue that featured the greatest photos of the 20th century.

Beyond the nature of the picture, how it portrays Ali is what resonates with Leifer the most.

“I don’t deserve the credit for that picture,” Leifer said. “Muhammad deserves the credit for that picture, because it was his legacy. It’s the way people want to remember him. Young, healthy, great-looking athlete, just a charismatic character — all of that is in that picture. The guy was a magnificent athlete, and that picture shows him at his very best.”

Leifer covered 35 of Ali’s fights. Over time, they became close friends.

“He brought photographers and writers all around the world,” Leifer said. “Ali loved people, and he was the easiest guy you can imagine to work with because of his charisma, and he liked the camera. There are some subjects. There are handsome, good-looking men and there are beautiful women who don’t photograph well. I like to call it a visual charisma that certain people have. He loved the camera.”

Leifer’s work covering boxing made him the first photographer to be inducted into a professional sports Hall of Fame. Leifer was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014, and the class included Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya and Joe Calzaghe, promoter Barry Hearn and referee Richard Steele.

Leifer covered Dmitry Bivol’s majority decision win over Artur Beterbiev in February 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the Times Square card in New York two months later that was headlined by Rolly Romero’s upset of Ryan Garcia.

The rematch between Bivol and Beterbiev was where he first saw Usyk from the first row. Now, Leifer will get to see the two-time undisputed heavyweight champion in action when he faces Verhoeven, a former Glory Kickboxing heavyweight champion.

“My legacy will certainly be about sports pictures,” Leifer said. “I love boxing. I still do.”