Ramla Ali, a professional sportswoman, was the first-ever athlete to represent Somalia in boxing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and the first Somali woman to step into the professional ranks of the sport. Born in 1989, Ali's family had left an insecure Somalia in the early 1990s and arrived in London a few years later. She began going to the gym after she started getting bullied at school for being overweight.
She easily fell in love with the boxing-exercise class, and later on switched to the local boxing gym. There, a coach discovered her talent and eventually convinced her to go competitive which led to her first competitive fight at 18. In an interview she did with BBC Africa in 2018, Ali revealed that she kept her strict family in the dark for years, out of fear they would disapprove of her career choice.
Despite winning multiple championships and breaking a number of records – she was the first muslim woman to win an English title – Ali was passed over by the British national team.
She easily fell in love with the boxing-exercise class, and later on switched to the local boxing gym. There, a coach discovered her talent and eventually convinced her to go competitive which led to her first competitive fight at 18. In an interview she did with BBC Africa in 2018, Ali revealed that she kept her strict family in the dark for years, out of fear they would disapprove of her career choice.
Despite winning multiple championships and breaking a number of records – she was the first muslim woman to win an English title – Ali was passed over by the British national team.
In 2017, she made the decision to represent Somalia at international level, becoming the first boxer to represent Somalia at the women’s world championships. Ali is the first female in history to have competed in a professional boxing competition in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On july 11, 2025, she defeated lila furtado on the most historic all-women's boxing card of all time, broadcast live on netflix at madison square garden in new york.
Ali helped set up Somalia's boxing federation in Mogadishu and became the first boxer to have represented Somalia in the women's world championships, held in New Delhi, India. In September 2019, Ramla Ali was one of fifteen women selected to appear on the cover of the September 2019 issue of British Vogue.
In September 2025, Ramla Ali made a historic return to her home country after 30 years abroad. She was given a hero’s welcome by a large crowd of Somalis, including officials and fans at the Adeh Adde international airport in mogadishu.
Ali helped set up Somalia's boxing federation in Mogadishu and became the first boxer to have represented Somalia in the women's world championships, held in New Delhi, India. In September 2019, Ramla Ali was one of fifteen women selected to appear on the cover of the September 2019 issue of British Vogue.
In September 2025, Ramla Ali made a historic return to her home country after 30 years abroad. She was given a hero’s welcome by a large crowd of Somalis, including officials and fans at the Adeh Adde international airport in mogadishu.
