Ramla Ali is a world champion for the first time, at 36. She beat former sparring partner Mikiah Kreps on a 10-round split decision at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday night. The win earned her the vacant WBO and IBF women's 122lb titles. The division is known as both junior featherweight and super-bantamweight.
Ali dropped Kreps in the third round with a hook to the chin that sent the American's glove to the canvas. From then on, Kreps took control, according to The Guardian. She raised her work rate, kept up the pressure and appeared to win most of the remaining rounds. Two judges scored the fight 97-92 and 96-93 for Ali. The third had Kreps winning 98-91, the newspaper reported. The Guardian's own card had Kreps ahead 97-92.
Compubox numbers cast further doubt on the result. Kreps landed 115 punches to Ali's 78, including 91 power shots to 70. She outlanded Ali in eight of the 10 rounds and threw 525 punches to Ali's 346. Kreps, 30, was previously unbeaten and believed she had done enough, BBC Sport reported. Promoter Lou DiBella wrote on social media that Kreps "won that fight and it wasn't close". He called for an investigation into the scoring.
Ali fell to her knees and wept when the result was announced. She said her coach had told her to win for her father, who died in May. "I can't put into words what this means to me and what this means to all of Somalia," she said. She also praised Kreps. Ali said she kept telling her corner she was exhausted because Kreps's work rate was "next level".
It was Ali's second shot at a world title. Her first ended in a unanimous decision loss to Mexico's Yamileth Mercado for the WBC belt. Ali grew up in east London after her family fled Somalia's civil war. She boxed for Somalia at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and turned professional in late 2020. Outside the ring she has worked as a model and as a Unicef ambassador. She also runs Sisters Club, which offers free boxing classes to vulnerable women. A biopic about her life, In the Shadows, came out last month.
In the main event, Alycia Baumgardner won the IBF lightweight title. All three judges scored her win over Elif Nur Turhan 100-90. Afterwards she clashed with Britain's Caroline Dubois at ringside. Dubois faces Stephanie Han on February 20. On the undercard, Australia's Skye Nicolson kept her WBC junior featherweight belt. BBC Sport said Ali could now target a unification fight with Nicolson.