Ramla Ali wins WBO and IBF world titles on split decision

Ramla Ali is a world champion at last. The British-Somali fighter beat Mikiah Kreps by split decision in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday night. She won the vacant WBO and IBF super-bantamweight titles at College Park Center. It came on her second attempt at world honours, and the emotion poured out of her at the final bell. BBC Sport reported that she fell to her knees in tears when the result was read out.

The fight was the chief support to Alycia Baumgardner against Elif Nur Turhan. Our Turhan vs Baumgardner fight-night guide set out the card for UK viewers. Ali’s bout moved up the running order after Ellie Scotney pulled out of her fight with Tiara Brown. You can read the background in our Ellie Scotney withdrawal report.

Ramla Ali and the split scorecards

The judges could hardly have been further apart. Most Valuable Promotions listed the official result as 97-92, 91-98 and 96-93 for Ali. That meant two judges backed the Londoner and one gave Kreps almost every round. Ali scored the only knockdown in the third round. Kreps touched the canvas with her glove after a heavy shot, and replays backed up the call.

After that, the American came storming back. CompuBox figures quoted by The Ring showed Kreps outlanding Ali by 115 punches to 78. She also led 91-70 in power shots. The Guardian reported that Kreps landed more punches in eight of the ten rounds.

Ramla Ali vs Mikiah Kreps: key facts

Detail	Result
Result	Ramla Ali won by split decision
Scorecards	97-92, 91-98, 96-93
Titles	Vacant WBO and IBF super-bantamweight belts
Venue	College Park Center, Arlington, Texas
Knockdown	Ali dropped Kreps in round three
Punches landed (CompuBox)	Kreps 115, Ali 78
New records	Ali 12-2, Kreps 11-1

What Ramla Ali said about her father

Ali dedicated the win to her late father, who died in May. She explained the tears in her in-ring interview, as reported by BBC Sport.

“When we were in the changing room, my coach said, because my dad passed away in May, ‘Do this for him’,” Ali said. “That’s where those emotions came out at the end, because I did it for my dad.”

She admitted the second half was a real struggle. “I remember going to the corner every round and I remember saying ‘I’m so tired, I can’t do this’,” she said. “All my coach responded was ‘think about your dad, do this for your dad’.” She also paid tribute to Kreps, saying her opponent’s work rate was “just next level”.

“I can’t put into words what this means to me and what this means to all of Somalia,” Ali added. “I’ve hopefully inspired so many young girls and boys out there to dream big.”

Reaction to the decision

Not everyone agreed with the judges. Veteran promoter Lou DiBella criticised the verdict on social media, according to The Guardian. “Mikiah Kreps won that fight and it wasn’t close,” he wrote. “I am appalled at that decision.” The Guardian said DiBella called for an investigation into the scoring. BBC Sport said Kreps was convinced she had done enough to win.

Ramla Ali’s long road and what comes next

The win follows a long journey. Ali’s family fled Somalia’s civil war when she was a baby, and she grew up in east London. She became the first boxer to represent Somalia at an Olympic Games, in Tokyo. She was also the first Muslim woman to win an English amateur title. Her first world title shot ended in defeat to Yamileth Mercado two years ago. A biopic of her life, In the Shadows, premiered last month.

BBC Sport suggested a unification fight with Skye Nicolson could follow. Nicolson kept her WBC belt on the same card with a unanimous win over Miyo Yoshida. That is only a possibility for now, not a signed fight. In the main event, Baumgardner beat Turhan on the cards to take the IBF lightweight title. Caroline Dubois then confronted her from ringside. Our Caroline Dubois vs Stephanie Han report covers the Briton’s next fight.

Follow our world title fights hub and wider boxing coverage for what Ramla Ali does next. For now, the girl from east London has her belts, and she won them for her dad.