MUHAMMAD Ali’s hopes of qualifying for next year’s Rio Olympics were dealt a blow on Saturday when the Bury fighter’s quarter-final bout at the AIBA World Championships was brought to an abrupt end due to an eye injury.

The 19-year-old Bury ABC member suffered a cut eye in the first round of his fight with number two seed Elvin Mamishzada in Qatar, with the referee forced to stop the action in the second round.

Flyweight Ali, who had a significant height advantage, led with the jab in an attempt to unsettle the Azerbaijani early on.

But despite struggling to land clean shots, Mamishzada won the first round when the Keighley fighter suffered a cut to the eye with a minute of the first round remaining.

And when the problem caused further issues in the second round, the referee brought a halt to proceedings.

The Brit had reached the quarter-finals of the championships with a revenge victory against Vincenzo Picardi on Friday.

The split decision win over the Italian in Doha made up for Ali’s defeat at the European Games in Azerbaijan earlier in the year when the fight was again stopped due to another eye injury.

Speaking after the fight, Bury coach Mick Jelley told the Bury Times: “I was very disappointed for the lad after he prepared so well for the championships.

“It was a bad cut, it needed stitches. and it will take a bit of healing.

“Obviously his chances of going to Rio next year are not so good now. It is very difficult to qualify for any Olympics and you really have to be on top of your game.

“There are still another couple of qualifiers coming up so he may get picked to go to one of those.

“It’s a bit of a knock back but Ali is only 19 so there is plenty of time ahead for him.

“If he doesn’t make this Olympics he will make the next.”