Ramla Ali wins first world title at 37 in Texas

ARLINGTON (Agencies): British-Somali boxer Ramla Ali captured her first world title at the age ​of 37 with a split-decision victory over ‌American Mikiah Kreps to claim the vacant WBO and IBF junior featherweight belts on Sunday ​in Arlington, Texas. Ali secured the win ​despite being outlanded 115-78 overall and trailing ⁠91-70 in power punches, with Kreps ​landing more shots in 8 of the ​10 rounds Ali knocked Kreps down in the third round with a right hook but was forced onto ​the back foot thereafter as the ​American responded strongly The judges were split, however, with two ‌scoring ⁠the bout 97-92 and 96-93 for Ali to hand her the world titles despite the third judge scoring the bout 98-91 ​for Kreps Ali ​settled in ⁠London as a refugee after fleeing Somalia’s civil war with ​her family and was the first ​Somali ⁠boxer to compete at the Olympic Games, representing Somalia at Tokyo 2020. She later ⁠became ​the first Muslim woman ​to win an English amateur boxing title.