British super-bantamweight Ramla Ali, a former refugee from war-torn Somalia, is set to challenge Mexico’s WBC champion Yamileth Mercado for her first world title in Phoenix, Arizona. Since making her pro debut in 2020, Ali has won nine bouts and suffered one loss, which she later avenged. She aims to prove her worth as a fighter and follow in the footsteps of her idols Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard by winning the prestigious green and gold WBC belt.
At the same event, Juan Francisco Estrada will defend his WBC super-flyweight title against Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, adding strong support for Mercado. Sunny Edwards, who lost his flyweight world title to Rodriguez in December, will also face Mexican Adrian Curiel in the main event undercard. Edwards aims to bounce back from his first loss in 21 fights and potentially set up a future matchup with Olympic gold medallist Galal Yafai. Despite the challenges ahead, Edwards is focused on getting back to winning ways on Saturday night before considering his next steps.