The boxing legend Muhammad Ali died of septic shock after several days in the hospital with a severe respiratory illness, his family said through a spokesperson.

Ali’s funeral will be held on Friday in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, and be preceded by a public procession.

Former president Bill Clinton, actor Billy Crystan and sports reporter Bryant Gumbel will deliver eulogies.

The three-time world heavyweight champion, who proclaimed himself “The Greatest” and opposed to the US government over the Vietnam war, had battled Parkinson’s disease for 32 years.

Ali’s daughter Hana Ali said in an emotional post on Twitter: “All of us were around him hugging and kissing him and holding his hands, chanting the Islamic prayer. All of his organs failed but his HEART wouldn’t stop beating. For 30 minutes… his heart just keep beating. No one had ever seen anything like it. A true testament to the srength of his Spirit and Will!”