Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland didn’t mince words in expressing his views on the controversy surrounding Olympic boxer Imane Khelif. Strickland, who is in line for another UFC middleweight title shot after defeating Paulo Costa at UFC 302, didn’t hold back in his criticism of the situation.
In a recent post to his X page, Strickland weighed in on the controversy, stating, “Here’s the facts. The Olympics didn’t test this boxer for political reasons. This boxer has failed a gender test in the past. The boxer may be intersex.. This situation was created because the Olympics failed their athletes and their fans out of political wokeness.”
Khelif, an Algerian boxer, defeated Italy’s Angela Carini at the 2024 Summer Olympics this week. Just seconds into the fight, Carini quit the bout after taking a series of devastating punches to her face. Khelif’s emphatic performance is marred by questions about their gender.
Last year, at the 2023 World Championships, Khelif failed a gender eligibility test after testing positive for XY (male) chromosomes. Despite the failed test last year, Khelif was still permitted to compete in Paris by the International Olympic Committee. It’s uncertain if the IOC tested Khelif under similar benchmarks.
Since the story went viral, it’s been reported that Khelif suffers from Swyer Syndrome, a genetic condition that can cause a woman to be born with XY chromosomes.
Swyer Syndrome, also known as 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis, is a condition in which individuals with one X and one Y chromosome (typically indicative of a male) develop female characteristics. Despite having the typical male XY karyotype, individuals with Swyer Syndrome develop as females because their gonads (the organs that would normally develop into either testes or ovaries) do not function properly.
Individuals with Swyer Syndrome have “streak gonads,” which are underdeveloped and non-functional. These streak gonads are often fibrous and do not produce the hormones necessary for typical sexual development.
To induce puberty and maintain female secondary sexual characteristics, individuals typically undergo HRT with estrogen and possibly progesterone. Considering Khelif is Iranian it’s highly questionable what kind of care she received.
This would explain the failed gender eligibility test last year, as Strickland referred to.
Strickland is adding to the uproar regarding Khelif and their eligibility, especially at a time in which transgender athletes are a hotly debated topic. And in reality, if Khelif does have testosterone levels typical for a male boxer – this needs to be addressed by the IOC, and preferably without getting political.
