Olympic champion Imane Khelif to make professional boxing debut in December

Olympic champion Imane Khelif has announced she will make her professional boxing debut next month in Paris, her first appearance in the ring since winning welterweight gold in the French capital in 2024. The 27-year-old said during a news conference on Friday alongside her coach Kamel Abdesselam and promoter Yacin Berrabah that she will take on Clarida Sarabia in the super-welterweight class on December 15.

“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.” Abdesselam is confident that Khelif could win a world title “within three to five fights” and compared his fighter with Muhammad Ali.

Frequently accused of being a transgender athlete, Khelif was born female but naturally carries the SRY gene, located on the Y chromosome, that indicates masculinity. In February, she revealed in an interview with French sports daily L’Equipe that she had undergone hormonal treatment to lower her testosterone levels ahead of the Paris Olympics.