The Algerian boxer has been at the center of a gender identity storm ever since she beat Angela Carini of Italy in just 46 seconds in her opening outbreak at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Khelif and Chinese Taipei featherweight Lin Yu-ting were disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) during last year’s World Championships for failing to meet gender eligibility criteria.
But they were controversially cleared to return to competition for Paris 2024 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
In a statement, Adesanya acknowledged his mistake and expressed regret for any offense caused. He recognized Khelif’s achievements and contributions to the sport, emphasizing the importance of respect within the athletic community.
Adesanya also had his say after mistakenly believing that Khelif was born a man before transitioning to become a transgender female.
“Men should not be boxing women,” the UFC star tweeted alongside a video of one of her old fights.
“LOL, he couldn’t even finish her. Anyway, People > politics.”
Adesanya has since apologized for his words after admitting that he misunderstood the situation.
“From now on, I’m going to leave women’s fights to women,” he said on The Rock.
“I tried to speak up about it and apparently, I got it wrong, or a lot of people got it wrong with this misinformation.
” I don’t like to get triggered and when something triggers me, I’m a fighter, I saw the news or the articles and I was like, ‘Why they are letting a trans person [fight women]? And then I found out later she wasn’t actually trans.
“So, to the lady, my bad. I got that wrong.
“To the lady, the boxer, I’m sorry. I didn’t understand what was going on.”
This apology highlights Adesanya’s commitment to fostering positive relationships and supporting fellow athletes, regardless of the sport they compete in.
Khelif will step into the ring in an Olympic final which will take place on Friday, August 9, as she looks to complete her quest for a gold medal.
