Ramla Ali wins first world title on contested split decision over Mikiah Kreps

Ramla Ali won a world title for the first time in her career on Sunday. The 36-year-old beat Mikiah Kreps, 30, by split decision over 10 rounds in Arlington, Texas. The Guardian reported the venue as College Park Center.

Two judges scored the fight for Ali, 97-92 and 96-93. The third judge scored it 98-91 for Kreps. Ali won two belts in the 122lb division. She knocked Kreps down in the third round.

Kreps outlanded Ali 115 punches to 78 overall. She also landed more power shots; BBC Sport and The Guardian give that count as 91 to 70. According to The Guardian, citing Compubox statistics, Kreps landed more punches in eight of the 10 rounds. BBC Sport reported that replays showed Kreps' glove touched the canvas after the knockdown punch as she tried to steady herself.

The two boxers are former sparring partners. Ali dropped to her knees when the scores were announced. Her father died in May. "I can't put into words what this means to me and what this means to all of Somalia," The Guardian quoted her as saying.

This was Ali's second world title attempt. She lost the first to Yamileth Mercado. Her family fled Somalia during its civil war, and she grew up in London. She was the first boxer to represent Somalia at the Olympic Games, at Tokyo 2020.

What is disputed

• The belts: Al Jazeera reports the IBO and WBF titles. BBC Sport and The Guardian report the WBO and IBF titles. The reports do not include any statement from the sanctioning bodies.
• The knockdown punch: BBC Sport describes a left hook; The Guardian a right hook.
• The 98-91 card: One BBC Sport passage places it in Ali's favour. Al Jazeera, The Guardian and a later BBC Sport passage say it favoured Kreps.
• Ali's earlier setback: The Guardian describes a unanimous decision loss to Mercado. BBC Sport also refers to a 2023 knockout in her ninth professional fight.

What each side says

Ali dedicated the win to her late father and credited Kreps' work rate. "Every time I went to the corner, I kept saying, 'I'm so tired. I'm so tired,' because your work rate was just next level," The Guardian quoted her as saying.

According to BBC Sport, Kreps was convinced she had done enough to win and was unhappy with the knockdown call.

Promoter Lou DiBella said on social media that Kreps won. The Guardian quoted him as writing: "Boxing can't get out of its own way. I am appalled at that decision." The Guardian reported he called for an investigation. The reports do not describe any response from officials.

The Guardian's own unofficial scorecard had Kreps winning 97-92.

In the main event, Alycia Baumgardner beat Elif Nur Turhan to win the IBF lightweight title.

Analysis

The result gives Ali a milestone after a career built across boxing, modelling and charity work, yet the debate over the scoring may shape how the win is received. Several open questions remain. The reports do not include confirmation from the sanctioning bodies about which belts were at stake, or any response from Texas officials to calls for a review. If an investigation proceeds, it could address the scoring; if not, the decision is likely to stand as recorded. A rematch is one possible scenario, but none of the reports describe plans for one. Clarity on the titles would help readers assess the result.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.