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Muhammad Ali was beloved around the world, but perhaps one of his unlikeliest friends was Sen. Orrin Hatch, who remembered the three-time heavyweight champion at his funeral on Friday.
The Utah Republican said Ali's commitment to finding common ground with people different from himself was one of his greatest gifts.
Speaking at Ali's funeral in Louisville, Kentucky, Hatch said the two met 28 years ago when an assistant told him he had a visitor in his Senate office. The two bonded over their love of boxing, as Hatch was once an amateur boxer.
"I was very surprised that it was none other than the champion," Hatch said. "The friendship we developed, I think it was puzzling to many people -- especially those who saw only our differences."