Muhammad Ali signs contract with Under Armour

NEW YORK, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Heavyweight legend Muhammad Ali, 73, has signed a contract with Under Armour despite being out of the ring for more than 30 years.

The line of "lifestyle apparel" will bear the image and famous mottos of Ali including "King Of Boxing," "Cassius Clay," "Float Like A Butterfly Sting Like A Bee," "The Greatest Of All Time," "Rumble In The Jungle" and "Thrilla In Manila."

"He's an iconic hero from the past and a true innovator," said Glenn Silbert, vice president of men's, outdoors and team sports for Under Armour. "We wondered what Ali would have been like if he had a brand like ours when he was getting started and how great it could have been. That has been the mentality of our design team throughout this process."

Under Armour called it more of an "endorsement" than a licensing deal and will be better than a previous deal with Adidas that only saw a limited release.

Ali retired in 1981. Since then, he has opened up about his battle with Parkinson's Disease.

Due to his limited capacity, he will not be able to promote the deal himself.