Olympic champion Imane Khelif will make her professional boxing debut on December 15 in Paris. The Algerian will face Clarida Sarabia in the super-welterweight division, Al Jazeera reported, citing information from Agence France-Presse.
For Khelif, this will be her first appearance in the ring since winning the welterweight title at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The 27-year-old boxer holds a professional licence from the French Boxing Federation.
Her return was supposed to take place earlier, but it was postponed in April because of an injury sustained during training. The new date was announced at a press conference attended by Khelif, her coach Kamel Abdesselam and promoter Yassine Berabah.
“It has been more than two years since I last boxed, and I really missed being in the ring,” Khelif said.
“The last few years were quite difficult. The time has come for me to turn professional, and I will give it my all,” she added. The quotes were reported by Al Jazeera in its article based on information from Agence France-Presse.
The bout against Sarabia will be the first step in Khelif’s professional career, after she already won Olympic gold in Paris. Before that, the Algerian found herself at the centre of a widely reported dispute over her participation in the Games.
Kamel Abdesselam said that Khelif could reach a world title within three to five professional fights. He compared his fighter to Muhammad Ali.
“We want to put Imane at the top of the world,” Abdesselam said.
Khelif was accused of being a transgender athlete during the Olympics. In its article, Al Jazeera states that she was born female and naturally has the SRY gene associated with the Y chromosome. In February, Khelif told the French sports newspaper L’Équipe that she had undergone hormone treatment to lower her testosterone levels before the Olympics.
After more than two years away from the official ring, Khelif will begin her professional journey with a fight in Paris on December 15.