KEIGHLEY'S Muhammad Ali won on his debut as the British Lionhearts maintained their unbeaten start in the World Series of Boxing (WSB) with a 3-2 victory over the Morocco Atlas Lions in Casablanca.

The flyweight boosted his hopes of making the Olympics in Rio by producing a mature performance to defeat London 2012 Olympian Abdelali Daraa and secure the win for the visitors, who went top of Group B as a result.

It was Ali's first competitive outing since last October’s AIBA World Championships in Doha, where a cut eye curtailed his participation in the competition.

The 19-year-old's jabs and footwork proved too much for his opponent, who could not find a way through Ali's tight defence as the Lionhearts gained revenge over the Moroccan outfit that defeated them home and away in last year's competition.

The former Bradford Police & College Boxing Academy star's win gave the visitors an unassailable lead after lightweight Luke McCormack and fellow WSB debutant super heavyweight Frazer Clarke had also triumphed before the Atlas Lions restored some pride by taking the final two contests of the night as Mohammed Rabii outpointed Ekow Essuman at welterweight, and Hassan Saada overcame rookie Thomas Whittaker-Hart in the light-flyweight.

The Lionhearts will look to continue their unbeaten start to in the team's first home match of the season against the Mexico Guerreros on Thursday, February 18 at London's York Hall.