Nov 9 (Reuters) – 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

(Reporting by Paras J. Haji in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)