Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium) is a sports stadium, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was initially erected for Malaysia's declaration of independence on 31 August 1957.The stadium, operated by Perbadanan Stadium Merdeka, was a venue for many major sporting events prior to its handover to the private company, such as the 1977 Southeast Asian Games and the annual Merdeka Football Tournament (Pesta Bola Merdeka). It also hosted the fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Bugner on July 1, 1975.