Ramla Ali wins WBO and IBF titles in Arlington despite Mikiah Kreps landing more punches
Ramla Ali won the vacant WBO and IBF women's junior featherweight titles on Sunday, November 8, taking a 10-round split decision over Mikiah Kreps in Arlington, Texas. "Vacant" means nobody held the belts going in. A split decision means two judges scored the fight for one boxer and the third judge scored it for the other.
The judges had it 97-92 and 96-93 for Ali, and 98-91 for Kreps. The bout was held at the College Park Center as part of the MVPW-07 card, which was billed as featuring four world title fights in Arlington. Most Valuable Promotions lists the result as an edge for Ali.
The fight had a turning point. In the third round, Ali scored a knockdown when Kreps touched the canvas with her glove after a right hook to the chin. A knockdown is when a boxer is down on the floor, with anything other than their feet, and the referee starts a count.
The numbers tell a more complicated story. CompuBox, the company that counts punches, recorded Kreps landing 115 punches to Ali's 78. Kreps also landed more power shots, 91 to 70, and threw 525 punches to Ali's 346. Kreps connected more often in eight of the 10 rounds. The Guardian reported the decision as controversial.
For Ali, 36, it is the first world title of her career. She was the first boxer to represent Somalia at the Olympics, and she was a 2016 English national champion. Earlier in her career she lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Yamileth Mercado in a bid for the WBC junior featherweight title. Her record now stands at 12-2 with 3 KOs, which means three wins by knockout.
Kreps, who is from New York, now has an 11-1 record with 3 KOs. She weighed 120.8 lbs for the bout, under the 122 lb limit for the division, which the WBO lists as 55.34 kg. Entering the fight, Ali was 11-2 and Kreps was 11-0.
The fight was built step by step. The WBO announced negotiations for the vacant title contest on June 25, 2026, and announced purse bids on July 17. A purse bid is a process where promoters compete to put up the money the fighters will be paid. Before the bout, the WBO ranked Kreps No. 1 and Ali No. 2 in the division.
For a casual fan, the night is a useful lesson in how boxing is scored. Judges weigh more than the punch count. Clean, effective shots, and a knockdown, can count for as much as volume. Ali walks away with two major belts, and Kreps walks away with an 11-1 record and the knowledge that a close fight can go either way on the cards.
