[1] Ali is a four-time kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion, who has made appearances for the K-1 MAX, SuperLeague and It's Showtime organizations.
As well as studying martial arts, the young Ali played youth football for PSV Eindhoven but would be unable to gain a pro-contract so re-focused on kickboxing.
At the age of thirteen he took the Dutch youth title in 1992, along with friend and fellow gym member Yücel Fidan and would accumulate an impressive record of 47 wins with just one defeat at B-Klass and C-Klass level.
[6] The very same year he also made his debut with (the now defunct) SuperLeague organization at their eight man middleweight tournament, held in Ali's homeland of Turkey.
[7] Sandwiched between his appearances for two of kickboxing's top organizations, was a win against Jose Barradas to claim the Muay Thai version of the W.F.C.A.
"King of the Ring" super middleweight belt beating former SuperLeague fighter Fadi Merza at the A-1 Combat World Cup in Eindhoven.