A true battle of wills unfolded in the historic Italian city of Siena, where Tunisia’s Mariem Homrani, now based in Europe, became the new WBA Intercontinental Lightweight champion after edging hometown fighter Alice Moro by split decision.

The official scorecards reflected the razor-close nature of the 10-round contest and the sustained exchanges that defined the fight from bell to bell. Two judges scored the bout in Homrani’s favor, 96-94 and 98-92, while the third had Moro winning 96-94, rewarding the visiting fighter’s sharper work and greater accuracy in combination punching.

From the opening round, Moro looked to make her home-field advantage count, setting an aggressive pace, closing the distance and forcing the fight into close quarters with bursts to the body. Homrani, however, remained composed and disciplined, using intelligent movement off the back foot and capitalizing on her opponent’s advances with crisp right-hand counters to the chin and hooks to the liver.

The pace never let up as the championship rounds arrived. Both fighters traded combinations as the Italian crowd roared, but Homrani’s accuracy, cleaner punching and superior energy management over the final two rounds ultimately swung the fight in her favor on the judges’ scorecards.