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MOGADISHU, 9 November 2026 Somali-British boxer Ramla Ali won her first world title on Sunday, defeating previously unbeaten American Mikiah Kreps by split decision in Arlington, Texas.
Ali, 37, claimed the vacant WBO and IBF super-bantamweight titles in a 10-round bout at the College Park Center, recovering from a failed title bid in 2024 against Mexico's Yamileth Mercado. Her professional record now stands at 12 wins and 2 losses.
Ali knocked Kreps down in the third round, the only knockdown of the fight. Two judges scored it 97-92 and 96-93 in Ali's favour, while the third scored it 98-91 for Kreps.
Kreps, who entered the fight with 11 wins, suffered the first defeat of her professional career.
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The result sparked controversy, with official punch statistics showing Kreps landed 115 punches to Ali's 78. Kreps was also well ahead in power punches.
According to BBC Sport, Ali fell to her knees in tears when the result was announced, and dedicated the victory to her late father.
Ali was born in Mogadishu in 1989. She fled with her family during the civil war and grew up in London. She is the first Somali woman to become a professional boxer, and the first boxer to represent Somalia at the Olympic Games, in Tokyo 2020.
In 2025, the President of Somalia awarded her the Medal of Honour in Mogadishu, in recognition of how she has represented the country on the world stage.