Johnson lost to Matthew Saad Muhammad and Lottie Mwale in the build-up but won a world title—the WBC light heavyweight version—from fellow southpaw Mate Parlov of Yugoslavia with a 10th-round KO in Italy in December 1978, then lost that same title the following April, in front of his hometown Indianapolis fans, in a rematch to Muhammad in what was perhaps 1979's Fight of the Year for many observers.
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