Thrilla In Manila documentary: Why is Muhammed Ali so highly regarded?

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I've seen several Muhammed Ali documentaries before, so I've always wondered why MA is so highly regarded in today's society. MA was no doubt one of the greatest fighters ever. I'm less than impressed though w/ his out of the ring behavior and beliefs. Just to name a few:

Character/racist attacks on Joe Frazier

He was a member of the Nation of Islam that outwardly believed in the separation of the races (and didn't really think too much of the white folks either)

An adulterer

Hey, i'm not saying he's the devil here but we need to re-evaluate who we put up on a pedastal. Not exactly a role model here. I know boxers aren't paid to be "nice" guys but MA crossed to many lines in my opinion. To me, he was a loud mouthed, pompous fighter that went too far. He was also one of, if not the greatest fighter ever. Is that why he's so popular? Nobody cares about the other stuff?