Published: 10:03 EDT, 6 November 2026 | Updated: 10:12 EDT, 6 November 2026
Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif is set to make her long-awaited return to the sport, preparing to debut as a professional boxer in December with the ultimate ambition of capturing a world title. The Algerian
fighter, who captured the world’s attention amid a fierce international storm at the Paris Olympic Games over two years ago, will step into the professional ring in the French capital to face 21-year-old women’s boxer Clarida Sarabia.
For Khelif, the upcoming bout marks the end of a protracted period of absence from competitive boxing, a hiatus driven by intense regulatory scrutiny, global controversy, and legal battles. The 27-year-old athlete has not fought since her triumphant yet tumultuous campaign at the Paris Games, where she secured the welterweight gold medal.
Reflecting on her journey back to the sport, Khelif admitted the emotional and professional toll of the past two years. "It’s been over two years since I last boxed, and I’ve really missed being in the ring," Khelif said. "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."
The fighter also reflected on the resilience required to endure the prolonged uncertainty surrounding her career. "Days became weeks, weeks became months. I waited, doubted. But deep inside, the fire never died. Behind closed doors, I kept fighting," she stated. "Because this fight was never only mine. It was for everyone who dared to be, for everyone who refused to give up."
Khelif’s transition to the professional ranks comes with high expectations from her camp. Her coach, Kamel Abdesselam, expressed immense confidence in her potential, suggesting that Khelif could fast-track her way to a world title challenge within her first three to five professional fights.
Beyond her immediate professional ambitions, Khelif has her sights set on the international stage once more, harboring an ambition to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. However, securing a place at the next Olympics will require her to navigate updated sporting regulations. Following widespread controversy in Paris, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) universally mandated that athletes competing in the women’s category must take a sex test. Khelif has indicated her willingness to comply with these rules to secure her spot in Los Angeles.
The roots of Khelif’s ongoing scrutiny trace back to the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei—who claimed the featherweight gold—became the center of a global gender eligibility debate. Khelif was engulfed in controversy after failing a gender eligibility test administered by the International Boxing Association (IBA) in 2023. It is understood that Khelif possesses a naturally high level of testosterone, for which she has taken medication to reduce, and is believed to carry the SRY gene, which is typically associated with male sex chromosomes. Despite this biological profile, current biographical evidence indicates she was born female, raised as a girl, and has consistently identified as female throughout her life.
The controversy deepened as sports governing bodies adjusted their policies. Earlier this year, Lin Yu-ting was cleared to return to World Boxing events following a sex test, a development that cast further complexity over the fairness and consistency of the initial bans and public disputes. Meanwhile, Khelif has maintained a legal and regulatory standoff regarding newly introduced testing protocols. She has not competed under the jurisdiction of World Boxing since sex tests were introduced by the organization in 2025, instead taking her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a bid to compete without undergoing the mandated testing, with a formal hearing yet to take place.
Despite her legal challenges with certain federations, Khelif has struck a conciliatory note regarding the broader framework of protecting women’s sports, provided that individual athletes are treated fairly. Speaking to CNN in February, Khelif addressed her stance on compliance. "Of course, I would accept doing anything I’m required to do to participate in competitions," she said. "They should protect women, but they need to pay attention that while protecting women, they shouldn’t hurt other women."
The controversy surrounding Khelif transcended the traditional boundaries of sports governance, drawing intense commentary from high-ranking political figures. Last year, United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order entitled "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports." During public remarks, the U.S. President repeatedly referred to Khelif as a "male boxer" who had "transitioned" and alleged that she had "stole the women’s gold medal" by competing in the women’s division in Paris. Trump doubled down on these assertions during a speech delivered to Republican lawmakers in January, continuing to claim that the Algerian athlete is transgender.
These political claims are factually incorrect according to all verified personal history and medical context available. Khelif has consistently rejected the notion that she is transgender or male, emphasizing her lifelong identity and upbringing in her native Algeria.
"I respect everyone, and I respect Trump because he’s the president of the United States," Khelif told the French publication L’Equipe, addressing the political rhetoric directed at her. "Trump cannot distort the truth. I’m not trans, I’m a girl. I was raised as a girl, I grew up as a girl, people in my village have always known me as a girl."
As Khelif prepares for her December bout against Clarida Sarabia in Paris, the spotlight will undoubtedly follow her into the professional ring. With her sights set on rapid progression toward a world championship belt and a potential return to the Olympic stage in 2028, the Algerian fighter is poised to embark on a new chapter of her career amidst lingering global debates over athletic eligibility and fairness.
