Who is Brianda Tamara? Taking a closer look at the female boxer who fought Imane Khelif in 2022
Brianda Tamara is a 25-year-old Mexican boxer who won the bronze medal in the women's welterweight class at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima. She made history as one of the first two female boxers from the nation to compete in the Olympic Games.
Tamara's boxing bout against Imane Khelif from December 2022 has been making the rounds on social media after public outrage over trans boxers being allowed to compete in the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024.
For a better understanding of the situation, Khelif from Algeria and Lin Yu‑ting of Taiwan were disqualified from the International Boxing Association (IBA) Women's World Championships in India last year after they were reported to have failed gender eligibility tests.
However, both boxers have been cleared to compete in the women’s 66-kilogram and women’s 57-kilogram matches, respectively, in Paris this week, as confirmed by the International Olympic Committee.
Fans unearthed footage of Khelif laying down a one-sided beatdown on Tamara, dazing her opponent multiple times with a flurry of shots, before the fight was stopped in the third round.
Check out the video below:
Khelif's inclusion in the ongoing Games has triggered widespread outrage based on the debate focused on whether athletes with naturally elevated levels of testosterone should be allowed to compete in women's categories.
Several athletes, including two-time Olympic boxing gold medalist Claressa Shields, have condemned the inclusion of alleged transgender athletes in the women's category. Khelif disputed the disqualification in 2023 by labeling it a "conspiracy" and saying that some “did not want Algeria to win a gold medal.”
What did Brianda Tamara say about facing Imane Khelif, who failed gender tests?
The footage of Imane Khelif, who reportedly failed IBA's gender test in 2023, laying down a beating on Brianda Tamara in 2022 has become a hotbed of debate in the combat sports world.
The Mexican boxer sustained multiple blows to the head throughout the encounter while dazed against the ropes before the bout was stopped in the third round.
Speaking about the experience of facing Khelif, Tamara said:
“I don’t think I had ever felt like that in my 13 years as a boxer, nor in my sparring with men. When I fought her I felt very out of my depth. Her blows hurt me a lot. Thank God that day I got out of the ring safely, and it’s good that they finally realized." [H/t: Yahoo Sports via The Telegraph]