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Australian boxer and rugby player Anthony Madigan, known best for fighting Muhammed Ali twice during a celebrated amateur career, has died. He was 87.

Madigan famously lost the semi-final at the 1960 Olympics in Rome to Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, who went on to win gold.

The pair had met the year before in an Intercity Golden Gloves light-heavyweight championship in Chicago, USA, with Ali winning on the judges' cards both times.

Madigan also represented Australia in the 1952 and 1956 Olympics, and won light-heavyweight gold in the 1958 and 1962 Commonwealth Games

(Image: Hulton Archive) (Image: Bob Thomas Sports Photography)

Not just a boxer, Madigan was also an accomplished rugby player for Randwick and Eastern Suburbs in Sydney and played for London's Harlequins in 1953.

Former Wallabies player and friend, Peter FitzSimons, reported the passing of Madigan on Sunday.

He tweeted: "Very sad to confirm death of 3-time Olympian, Australian boxer, Tony Madigan, 4 Feb 1930 - 29 Oct 2017. Fought Ali twice. Fine Man. Vale."