Imane Khelif is excited to share that she will make her professional boxing debut, her first fight since the 2024 Olympics gender discussion.
Imane Khelif has announced she will make her professional boxing debut after the controversy around her gender following her success at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Khelif won gold in the women’s welterweight event at the 2024 Olympic Games, but questions about her participation arose because she was disqualified the previous year from the amateur World Championships for not meeting gender eligibility rules.
Since then, the Algerian boxer stepped away from the spotlight but now says she’s ready to return to the ring. Her pro debut is set for December 15 in Paris.
The controversy began when Italy’s Angela Carini pulled out of their fight after just 46 seconds, prompting debates about Khelif’s gender after her disqualification in 2023. Although not transgender, Khelif was disqualified for unclear gender eligibility reasons. The International Olympic Committee looked into it, cleared her, and confirmed she is a woman, allowing her to compete in Paris.
Despite the ongoing discussions, Khelif won gold and is now stepping into professional boxing to fight Clarida Sarabia in a super-welterweight match on December 15.
“It’s been over two years since I last boxed, and I really missed it,” Khelif said at a press event. “The last couple of years were tough, but I’m excited to turn pro and give it everything I’ve got.”
She’ll face 21-year-old Dutch fighter Sarabia, who is 4-0 in her professional career, in a six-round fight. Khelif’s coach, Kamel Abdesselam, believes she could challenge for a world title within three to five fights and even compared her to boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
Khelif was supposed to debut professionally in April but had to pull out due to an injury.
Turning pro has raised questions about whether she will defend her Olympic title in 2028. Khelif said she can’t answer that because she’s filed complaints against World Boxing about the gender tests. Her coach also hinted she probably won’t compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Games, saying, “She’s already an Olympic champion and isn’t interested in going back.”
Since Paris 2024, Khelif hasn’t fought officially but has spent time dealing with legal battles tied to the gender controversy. She also filed a complaint about online harassment soon after the Games. In June 2025, she was blocked from competing due to World Boxing’s genetic sex testing rule, which she is currently challenging at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Though her request to stop the testing temporarily was denied, meaning she couldn’t join the World Boxing Championships, she’s now focusing on professional boxing. Her upcoming fight against Sarabia will be her first in over two years.
“Days turned to weeks and then months. I waited and doubted, but deep inside, my fire never went out. Behind closed doors, I kept fighting,” she said in a video posted on Instagram. “This fight is bigger than me. It’s for everyone who dares to be themselves and never gives up.”