He was also an ambassador who used his fame to help others. In 1990, Ali traveled to Iraq after Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion of Kuwait. Hussein took 15 American hostages from a local General Motors branch and placed them in strategic bombing locations, using them as human shields. Ali's visit to Iraq was documented by ESPN in a documentary called "Ali: The Mission," narrated by Springfield native John Legend.

Despite being in the midst of his battle with Parkinson's Disease, Ali traveled to Baghdad. For a week, he waited for a meeting with Hussein while running out of medication.