LAURA WOODS has admitted to losing friends and receiving death threats over her stance on Imane Khelif.
Khelif, 25, won Olympic gold in the women’s 66kg welterweight boxing in Paris.
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Laura Woods has been outspoken about the Imane Khelif situationCredit: Rex
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Khelif won gold at the Paris OlympicsCredit: AFP
The Algerian was cleared to fight at the Games after previously being booted out the 2023 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships for failing a gender test.
Ahead of the Olympics, chiefs slammed the IBA’s disqualification as “sudden and arbitrary” and taken “without any due process”, allowing the athlete born a woman to compete.
TV presenter Woods has been outspoken about the issue and praised an article on social media that highlighted concerns about Khelif‘s involvement during the Olympics.
At the time, she said amongst a number of tweets: “Since I replied to this article I’ve had numerous death threats to myself and my unborn child.
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“Questions on my own gender (I’m pregnant so guess that clears that one up) calls for my employers to sack me, threats to my home…
“I’ve been called a racist, a bigot and a sexist as well as various insults.
“When there are discrepancies with test results – which could impact the safety of another human being, in an environment that above all else should be fair – questions are quite rightly going to be asked.
“The answers are still unclear, otherwise this topic would be closed.”
She wrote: “Saw A LOT of what was written about me and others for even daring to ask questions about this. I won’t forget that.
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“I hope the women who had to face a biological man in the ring and whose concerns were drowned out, now get some sort of justice, but I won’t hold my breath.”
A follower replied: “Hope you haven’t lost friends over it Laura. Well done for sticking to your guns! I hope the young lady can get her medal.
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“Then again, why would she want it? Her Olympic dream was ruined from the get go.”
Woods, who is currently pregnant after announcing she is expecting a baby with former Love Island star Adam Collard, responded: “Unfortunately I have.
“I’ve seen their tweets on here about me (repeatedly). On the medal, I don’t think she will get it, which is the biggest travesty, and the fact the IOC allowed this all to happen.”
Olympics gender controversy
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THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) stirred up a huge controversy by clearing two women to box who had previously failed a gender test.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting were disqualified at the Women’s World Championships in New Delhi, India, in March 2023.
Lin Yu-ting was stripped of a bronze medal after failing a gender eligibility test.
Khelif was disqualified in New Delhi for failing a testosterone level test.
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Officials found tests showed they had ‘XY chromosomes’ — which indicates a person is biologically male.
Rare ‘intersex’ medical conditions, medically known as differences in sexual development (DSDs), can also mean outwardly female individuals can have ‘male’ chromosomes, or vice versa.
The Russia-led International Boxing Association organised that event but is no longer recognised by the IOC.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said: “These athletes have competed many times before for many years, they haven’t just suddenly arrived – they competed in Tokyo.
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“The federation needs to make the rules to make sure that there is fairness but at the same time there is the ability for everyone to take part that wants to. That is a difficult balance.
“In the end the experts for each sport are the people who work in that. If there is a big advantage that clearly is not acceptable, but that needs to be a decision made at that level.”
Both Khelif and Lin competed at the delayed Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. Lin is a two-time winner at the Asian Women Amateur Boxing Championships.
The IOC said all boxers in Paris “comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations”.
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The controversy follows the famous case of Caster Semenya.
South African middle-distance runner Semenya has a condition which means her body naturally produces higher levels of testosterone than normal for women.
She won gold in the 800m at London 2012 and Rio in 2016 but was unable to compete at Tokyo in 2021 after World Athletics brought in new rules independently of the IOC at the time.
Another added: “Luis Diaz carrying on the Firmino no look tradition.”
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From Max Holloway’s announcement of moving back up to lightweight, to the welterweight booking between Ian Machado Garry vs. Joaquin Buckley, and the retirement of former UFC women’s featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie, a lot went down. Additionally, the UFC revealed the details for the new, upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
All this news left many questions: Is Holloway making the right call by leaving featherweight? What’s at stake in the Garry Machado vs. Buckley matchup in Tampa, Fla.? What kind of legacy does de Randamie leave behind?
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MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King, Danny Segura and host Gorgeous “George” discuss and react to the latest news in the world of MMA.
Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.
“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel at noon ET. You can also find each episode on your favorite podcast platforms – including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more – on Tuesday mornings.
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Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
Following a 4-1 victory for his Sporting side against Manchester City, incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim says he’s “ready for the challenge” of the Premier League.
The final UFC Apex event of 2024 takes place Saturday in Las Vegas with UFC Fight Night 247, which streams entirely on ESPN+.
Headlining the card is the most experienced welterweight in UFC history. Neil Magny (29-12 MMA, 22-11 UFC) will attempt to build on his all-time divisional wins record when he clashes with yet another surging potential contender in Carlos Prates (20-6 MMA, 3-0 UFC).
For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC Fight Night 247.
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Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates
Neil Magny
Neil Magny
Magny competes in his 34th UFC welterweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Magny has alternated losses and wins over his past eight fights. He was defeated in his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN 62 in August.
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Magny’s 22 victories in UFC competition are tied for fourth-most in company history behind Jim Miller (26), Andrei Arlovski (23) and Donald Cerrone (23).
Magny’s 22 victories in UFC welterweight competition are most in divisional history.
Magny’s total fight time of 6:51:58 in UFC welterweight competition is most in divisional history.
Magny’s 14 decision victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
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Magny has landed 1,418 significant strikes and 2,538 total strikes in UFC welterweight competition, the most in divisional history.
Magny is the only fighter in modern UFC history to make five or more octagon appearances in consecutive years. He went 4-1 in 2015 after going 5-0 in 2014.
Magny is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn five victories in a calendar year, as he did in 2014. Kevin Holland (2020) and Roger Huerta (2007) also accomplished the feat.
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Carlos Prates
Carlos Prates
Prates becomes the second fighter to make four UFC appearances in 2024. Charles Johnson also accomplished the feat and went 4-0.
Prates has earned 18 of his 20 career victories by stoppage. That includes all three of his UFC wins.
Prates’ three-fight UFC knockout streak is tied with Tom Aspinall and Jean Silva for third-longest among active fighters in the company behind Steve Garcia (five) and Alex Pereira (four).
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Cody Garbrandt vs. Miles Johns
Cody Garbrandt
Cody Garbrandt (14-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) enters the event on the final fight of his current UFC contract.
Garbrandt is one of nine fighters to hold the UFC bantamweight title. He is one of three who failed to make a successful title defense.
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Garbrandt is 3-6 in his past nine fights dating back to November 2017.
Garbrandt is 2-1 since returning to the bantamweight division in March 2023.
Garbrandt’s 10 knockdowns landed in UFC bantamweight competition are tied with Marlon Vera, Petr Yan for second-most in divisional history behind Montel Jackson (11).
Miles Johns (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) defends 71.3 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Vaughan Lee (71.5 percent).
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Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Denise Gomes
Karolina Kowalkiewicz
Karolina Kowalkiewicz (16-8 MMA, 9-8 UFC) competes in her 18th UFC strawweight bout, tied with Randa Marcos for the second-most appearances in divisional history behind Angela Hill (25).
Kowalkiewicz is 6-8 in her past 14 fights dating back to when she fought for the UFC strawweight title in November 2016.
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Kowalkiewicz’s nine victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for sixth-most in divisional history behind Hill (11), Jessica Andrade (10), Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10), Tecia Pennington (10) and Carla Esparza (10).
Kowalkiewicz’s eight decision victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for most in divisional history.
Kowalkiewicz has eight of her nine UFC victories by decision.
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Reinier de Ridder vs. Gerald Meerschaert
Gerald Meerschaert
Reinier de Ridder (17-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), a former two-division ONE Championship titleholder at light heavyweight and middleweight, makes his octagon debut.
Gerald Meerschaert (37-17 MMA, 12-9 UFC) has earned 35 of his 37 carer victories by stoppage. That includes all 12 of his UFC wins.
Meerschaert’s 12 stoppage victories in UFC middleweight competition are most in divisional history.
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Meerschaert’s 11 submission victories in UFC middleweight competition are most in divisional history.
Meerschaert’s 11 submission victories in UFC competition are tied with Demian Maia for the third-most in company history behind Charles Oliveira (16) and Miller (12).
Luana Pinheiro vs. Gillian Robertson
Gillian Robertson
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Gillian Robertson (14-8 MMA, 11-6 UFC) is 3-1 since she dropped to the UFC strawweight division in April 2023.
Robertson’s seven submission victories in UFC competition are most by any female in company history.
Robertson’s seven stoppage victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Robertson’s six submission victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
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Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Zach Scroggin.
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (24-8-1 MMA, 10-4-1 UFC) is one of three fighters in history to earn UFC knockouts stemming from a flying knee and a spinning wheel kick. Cory Sandhagen and Edson Barboza also accomplished the feat.
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Matthew Semelsberger vs. Charlie Radtke
Matthew Semelsberger
Matthew Semelsberger’s (11-7 MMA, 5-5 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since December 2022.
Semelsberger is 1-4 in his past five fights dating back to July 2022.
Semelsberger is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn multiple knockouts of 20 seconds or less. Anthony Johnson and Terrance McKinney also accomplished the feat.
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Semelsberger’s 10 knockdowns landed in UFC welterweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Thiago Alves (13), Matt Brown (11) and Jake Ellenberger (11).
Cody Stamann vs. Da’Mon Blackshear
Da’Mon Blackshear’s twister
Da’Mon Blackshear (14-7-1 MMA, 2-3-1 UFC) is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by Twister. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 51. Bryce Mitchell and Chan Sung Jung have also won with the technique.
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PROFITEER (12.35 Musselburgh, nap)
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Tim Easterby’s three-year-old loves boggy ground and has been a revelation this autumn with back-to-back wins at Pontefract.
He saves his best for this distance and did really well to come from just off the pace to grab the winner right on the line. The handicapper has been fair with a 3lb rise in the weights and this is a fair drop in class from that last success.
LAURA BAY (2.43 Nottingham, nb)
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She is another who likes to get her toe in and has progressed nicely for her under-rated trainer David Menuisier.
She went through testing ground to score at Sandown in July and came back from a break to be beaten on the nod at Leicester in September. She’s had another little rest since then and looks a few steps ahead of the handicapper again.
SPIRIT LEAD ME (4.30 Kempton, treble)
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Needed a few runs to get the hang of things but the penny seems to have dropped now. He had four lengths in hand when scoring at Wolver after getting off the mark here. There’s more to come.
REEL HER IN (3.42 Musselburgh)
Has won her past two outings around here by a neck. That means the handicapper hasn’t over-reacted and she’s just 2lb higher than a solid win over this trip 23 days ago. She can land the hat-trick under Paul Mulrennan.
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