Dylan Bettencourt
Ramla Ali would have never dreamt of having a boxing record without any defeats when she fled war-torn Somalia as a child.
Her last fight at the O2 Arena last month saw the crowd chant, “Ali, Ali, Ali” as she improved on her perfect record.
“The amazing thing about the Somali community is that they back their own,” Ali told BBC Sport.
“I put out a flyer and within 72 hours I’d sold 500 tickets. It was insane.”
Ali is a popular fighter, both in and out of the ring. She is also an activist, an author and a model who was chosen by Meghan Markle to be on the cover of Vogue magazine.
The 32-year-old fled Somalia as a child to England where she became the first Muslim fighter to win an English title as an amateur.
Ali’s journey to stardom has been one worth documenting and her biopic is already in production.
This week the film will get an even better moment to capture when she makes a historic appearance on the Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua undercard on Saturday.
Ali will take part in the first professional female fight to take place in Saudi Arabia.
“It’s a huge honour. No-one else will ever be the first. For myself and my opponent, both our names will be cemented in history. It’s an incredible feeling,” she said.
Despite the fight drawing criticism because of Saudi Arabia’s poor human rights record and treatment of women Ali says the fight shows progress.
“If I am trying to fight for women’s rights. Why wouldn’t I support a country that is trying to make changes and trying to change women’s rights?” she said.
“You can’t fault a country that is trying to make changes. This isn’t just a gimmick of ‘let’s stick on a women’s fight’,” she said.
Ali revealed that her fight against Garcia Nova in Jeddah was requested by the Saudi royal family.
Following her bout, she is set to continue being a brand ambassador for several high-end fashion brands, showcasing their newest items on a runway.
Image source: @BritishVogue
