Mimoun Ben Ali

Mimoun Ben Ali (7 July 1935 – 2001) was a Spanish boxer who was three-time European champion belonging to the Bantamweight division and opponent of various Italian boxers, including world and European champions Mario D'Agata, Salvatore Burruni, Piero Rollo, Tommaso Galli, and Franco Zurlo.

Career He was left-handed and was born in Farkhana and had Spanish citizenship having been born in a territory that, until 1956, was the Spanish Morocco. He fought only thirteen matches as an amateur, obtaining eleven victories and only two defeats.

After his professional debut in Melilla, in 1955, he moved to Barcelona. In 1957 he earned a draw at the home of Aristide Pozzali, who was the former Italian Champion and challenger for the European title in the flyweight class. On 13 September 1958, in Cagliari, he fought against Mario D'Agata, the European Champion in charge and former World Champion of cockweights in a match without the title at stake. D'Agata prevailed on points in ten rounds. He dominated the Spanish rings for several years, winning the national bantamweight title twice, starting in 1960, and defending it four times. Ben Ali lost his title against the Finnish Risto Luukkonen but then regained it on 4 February 1965 against Frenchman Pierre Vetroff, in Barcelona, on points. On 17 December 1969, he again tried to win the European Bantumweight title, which had become vacant due to Burruni's retirement from boxing. In the Taurianova ring, he was defeated on points in 15 rounds by Franco Zurlo. After this defeat, he retired from boxing, at the age of 34.