Ramla Ali beats Mikiah Kreps to win unified world titles at 36

Ramla Ali has won her first world championship at 36, beating Mikiah Kreps in Arlington, Texas, to take the WBO and IBF super-bantamweight titles. BBC Sport reported that the Briton prevailed by split decision, handing the previously unbeaten American her first defeat after a contest in which Ali scored a knockdown but faced sustained pressure.

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Ali dedicated the victory to her father, who died in May. She dropped to her knees in tears when the result was announced and later described how her coach had used her father's memory to encourage her before the bout and between rounds. She also spoke about the significance of the achievement for Somalia and her hope of inspiring children to pursue their ambitions.

The knockdown came in the third round, when Kreps walked into a left hook. The American disputed the referee's decision, but, according to the BBC report, replays showed that her glove touched the canvas as she attempted to regain her balance. That gave Ali a 10-8 round, although she was unable to turn the opening into sustained control of the fight.

Kreps responded by continuing to press forward. The punch figures cited by BBC Sport put her ahead by 115 landed punches to 78, including a 91-70 advantage in power shots. Those totals underline the challenge Ali faced after the knockdown, while Kreps was left believing she had done enough to win when the decision went against her.

Ali said fatigue became a recurring problem in the corner, where she repeatedly told her coach she was struggling to continue. His reminders to fight for her father helped her return for the next round. Her account of those exchanges accompanied her praise for Kreps' work rate and explained the emotion that followed the announcement.

The result follows Ali's unsuccessful first world-title challenge against Yamileth Mercado two years earlier. Having fled war-torn Somalia as a child, she went on to become an Olympian, activist and author. With a film about her life recently released, she has now added a unified boxing championship to that career.