Sports · Combat Sports · 59 mins ago
Olympic champion Imane Khelif to make professional boxing debut in Paris
Algerian Olympic champion Imane Khelif will turn professional with a boxing debut against Clarida Sarabia in Paris on December 15.
The 27-year-old won women’s welterweight gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics and has not competed since.
Her Olympic campaign drew a public eligibility dispute after she had been disqualified from the 2023 amateur World Championships.
The International Boxing Association made that disqualification, but it had been expelled from the Olympic movement over governance concerns.
Khelif says she has missed boxing and that the past two years were difficult.
Her coach believes she could challenge for a world title within three to five professional fights.
Khelif has also said she intends to defend her Olympic title at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, though her coach said she has no interest in competing there again.
Imane Khelif will make her professional boxing debut against Clarida Sarabia in Paris on December 15.
The 27-year-old Algerian has not competed since winning women’s welterweight gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
She announced the super-welterweight bout at a press conference on November 6, 2026.
Khelif’s Olympic campaign was overshadowed by a controversy over her eligibility to compete in women’s boxing.
She said the period away from boxing had been difficult and that she had missed being in the ring.
- Who
- Imane Khelif and opponent Clarida Sarabia.
- What
- Khelif will make her professional boxing debut against Sarabia.
- When
- December 15; the year is not stated in the articles.
- Where
- Paris.
- Why
- Khelif said she was ready to turn professional and had missed boxing. The articles do not state another specific reason for the bout.
Imane Khelif
International Boxing Association
Eligibility
Imane Khelif
Khelif has insisted she had the right to compete at the Olympics and says she is a woman.
International Boxing Association
The IBA disqualified Khelif from its 2023 amateur World Championships for allegedly failing to meet gender eligibility criteria.
The International Boxing Association disqualified Khelif from its amateur World Championships for allegedly failing to meet gender eligibility criteria.
Khelif won women’s welterweight gold at the Paris Olympics.
Khelif had planned to return to competition, but a training injury forced her to postpone the appearance.
Khelif announced her professional debut against Clarida Sarabia.
Khelif is scheduled to fight Sarabia in Paris.
- Opponent
- Clarida Sarabia
- Debut date
- December 15
- Venue
- Paris
- Weight class
- Super-welterweight
- Age
- 27
- Olympic result
- Women’s welterweight gold, Paris 2024
3 sources
Olympics gender row boxer Imane Khelif to make professional debut: Algerian announces fight with 21-year-old in December... two-and-a-half years after controversial gold in Paris
Imane Khelif to box for first time since 2024 Olympics gender row
Olympic champion Khelif to make professional boxing debut in Paris on December 15
What people are saying
It’s been over two years since I last boxed, and I've really missed being in the ring.
The last couple of years have been quite difficult. The time has come to turn professional, and I’m going to give it my all.