A FORMER world champion and friend of Muhammad Ali has died aged 73.

Paddy Monaghan, a world middleweight bare knuckle champion known as ‘The Rough Diamond’, passed away on Sunday evening.

Mr Monaghan, was ‘like a brother’ to three-time world heavyweight champion Ali, hosted The Champ on some 20 occasions at his home in Saxon Way, Abingdon in the boxer’s prime.

He was in Ali’s corner during the world champion’s fights with Al “Blue” Lewis in Dublin in 1972 and for Ali’s second titanic battle with Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden in 1974.

Mr Monaghan also started a campaign to get Ali’s fighting licence reinstated in 1967 after he refused to serve the US armed forces in Vietnam.

Tributes have been paid to Mr Monaghan, a father-of-five, who was born Ederney, in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, before moving to Abingdon and finally Sutton Courtenay.

One message on a Ali tribute page read: “Received news that a person I admire and respect so much passed away the other night.

“I recently discovered who he was and what he did for Muhammad Ali.

“I didn’t think that there was a bigger Muhammad Ali fan or supporter than me out there but Paddy Monaghan sure proved that wrong. I admire him and I’d say him and Muhammad are catching up on a lot in heaven.”

Another added: “Very sad loss of the man who helped Muhammad Ali to get his Boxing licence back, collecting over 22,000 signatures.”

Read more in tomorrow’s Oxford Mail.