Sara Haghighat-Joo | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 June 1994
[3] North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
[1] |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Light-flyweight, Bantamweight |
| Height | 162 cm (5 ft 4 in) [1] |
| Stance | Orthodox [1] |
| Boxing record [2] | |
| Total fights | 4 |
| Wins | 4 |
Sara Haghighat-Joo ( Persian: سارا حقیقتجو; born 17 June 1994) is a Canadian-Iranian-Sierra Leonean professional boxer who holds the WBA female light-flyweight World title ( Regular version). As an amateur she was the first Sierra Leonean competitor to win a gold medal at the African Elite Boxing Championships.
Amateur career
Haghighat-Joo is a three-time Canadian amateur champion and has also won two Irish amateur titles. [4] Having previously represented Canada on the international stage, she began boxing for Sierra Leone – qualifying through her grandparents – in 2020. [5] [6]
She was selected to take part in the light-flyweight division at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, but was disqualified before her quarter-final bout with Uganda's Teddy Nakimuli after failing to make the required 50kg weight limit by a mere 0.1kg, something she blamed on a discrepancy between the test scales and the official scales. [7] [8]
In September 2022, Haghighat-Joo became the first Sierra Leonean to win a gold medal at the African Elite Boxing Championships when she defeated Algeria's Fatma Zohra Abdelkader in the bantamweight final in Maputo, Mozambique. [9] [10] [5]
Professional career
After signing a promotional deal with Ontario-based United Promotions, she made her professional debut on 12 November 2022, securing a unanimous decision victory over Nayeli Verde at the CAA Centre in Brampton, Canada, in a fight streamed live on DAZN. [11] [12]
In just her fourth pro-fight, Haghighat-Joo claimed the WBA female World light-flyweight title ( Regular version) beating defending champion Guadalupe Bautista by unanimous decision in Toronto, Canada, on 27 April 2024. Her victory made her the fastest professional world champion in Canadian boxing history. [4] [13] [14] [15]
Personal life
Haghighat-Joo's parents emigrated to Canada from Iran. [16] She is fluent in Persian and studied Human Kinetics at the University of British Columbia before transferring to the University of Guelph when she switched boxing training bases. [17] Haghighat-Joo is married to her coach Stevie Bailey. [4]
Professional boxing record
| 4 fights | 4 wins | 0 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By decision | 4 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Guadalupe Bautista | UD | 10 (10) | 27 April 2024 | Toronto Casino Resort, Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Won the WBA female super-flyweight World title ( Regular version) |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Esmeralda Gaona Sagahon | UD | 8 (8) | 21 October 2023 | Pickering Casino Resort, Pickering, Ontario, Canada | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Mayela Perez | UD | 10 (10) | 25 February 2023 | CAA Centre, Brampton, Ontario, Canada | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Nayeli Verde | UD | 8 (8) | 12 November 2022 | CAA Centre, Brampton, Ontario, Canada |
References
- ^ a b c "Boxrec profile of Sara Haghighat-Joo". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Boxing record for Sara Haghighat-Joo". BoxRec.
- ^ "Sara Haghighat-Joo". tapology.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ a b c "World title changes hands; Brampton fighter has big night at boxing card". insauga.com. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ a b "AFBC African Men's & Women's Boxing Championships finished in Maputo". IBA Sport. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Former Canada female boxer Sara Haghighat-joo, to fight for Sierra Leone during zone two boxing competition". awokenewspaper.com.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Sierra Leone boxer blasts Commonwealth Games organisers after weigh-in disqualification". Inside the Games. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "'Absolute Bullsh*t' - Reigning Irish Elite Champion forced out of the Commonwealth Games". Irish Boxing. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Reigning Irish Champ wins African Championship Gold and makes history for Sierra Leone". Irish Boxing. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Sierra Leone Female Boxer, Sara Haghighat-Joo Bags Gold Medal at AFBC Championship". Sierra Loaded. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Haghighat-Joo vs Nayeli Verde". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Reigning Elite Irish Champ confirms pro move and DAZN debut". Irish Boxing. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Haghighat Joo dethrones Bautista in Toronto". wbaboxing.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Irish Amateur Champ makes World title history". Irish Boxing. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Maria Guadalupe Bautista vs Haghighat-Joo". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Sara Haghigat-joo is World Title Ready". westendac.com. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ "The Gentlemen's Expo - Feature Fighter: Sara Haghighat-joo". fighttoendcancer.com. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
Sara Haghighat-Joo | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 June 1994
[3] North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
[1] |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Light-flyweight, Bantamweight |
| Height | 162 cm (5 ft 4 in) [1] |
| Stance | Orthodox [1] |
| Boxing record [2] | |
| Total fights | 4 |
| Wins | 4 |
Sara Haghighat-Joo ( Persian: سارا حقیقتجو; born 17 June 1994) is a Canadian-Iranian-Sierra Leonean professional boxer who holds the WBA female light-flyweight World title ( Regular version). As an amateur she was the first Sierra Leonean competitor to win a gold medal at the African Elite Boxing Championships.
Amateur career
Haghighat-Joo is a three-time Canadian amateur champion and has also won two Irish amateur titles. [4] Having previously represented Canada on the international stage, she began boxing for Sierra Leone – qualifying through her grandparents – in 2020. [5] [6]
She was selected to take part in the light-flyweight division at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, but was disqualified before her quarter-final bout with Uganda's Teddy Nakimuli after failing to make the required 50kg weight limit by a mere 0.1kg, something she blamed on a discrepancy between the test scales and the official scales. [7] [8]
In September 2022, Haghighat-Joo became the first Sierra Leonean to win a gold medal at the African Elite Boxing Championships when she defeated Algeria's Fatma Zohra Abdelkader in the bantamweight final in Maputo, Mozambique. [9] [10] [5]
Professional career
After signing a promotional deal with Ontario-based United Promotions, she made her professional debut on 12 November 2022, securing a unanimous decision victory over Nayeli Verde at the CAA Centre in Brampton, Canada, in a fight streamed live on DAZN. [11] [12]
In just her fourth pro-fight, Haghighat-Joo claimed the WBA female World light-flyweight title ( Regular version) beating defending champion Guadalupe Bautista by unanimous decision in Toronto, Canada, on 27 April 2024. Her victory made her the fastest professional world champion in Canadian boxing history. [4] [13] [14] [15]
Personal life
Haghighat-Joo's parents emigrated to Canada from Iran. [16] She is fluent in Persian and studied Human Kinetics at the University of British Columbia before transferring to the University of Guelph when she switched boxing training bases. [17] Haghighat-Joo is married to her coach Stevie Bailey. [4]
Professional boxing record
| 4 fights | 4 wins | 0 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By decision | 4 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Guadalupe Bautista | UD | 10 (10) | 27 April 2024 | Toronto Casino Resort, Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Won the WBA female super-flyweight World title ( Regular version) |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Esmeralda Gaona Sagahon | UD | 8 (8) | 21 October 2023 | Pickering Casino Resort, Pickering, Ontario, Canada | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Mayela Perez | UD | 10 (10) | 25 February 2023 | CAA Centre, Brampton, Ontario, Canada | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Nayeli Verde | UD | 8 (8) | 12 November 2022 | CAA Centre, Brampton, Ontario, Canada |
References
- ^ a b c "Boxrec profile of Sara Haghighat-Joo". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Boxing record for Sara Haghighat-Joo". BoxRec.
- ^ "Sara Haghighat-Joo". tapology.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ a b c "World title changes hands; Brampton fighter has big night at boxing card". insauga.com. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ a b "AFBC African Men's & Women's Boxing Championships finished in Maputo". IBA Sport. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Former Canada female boxer Sara Haghighat-joo, to fight for Sierra Leone during zone two boxing competition". awokenewspaper.com.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Sierra Leone boxer blasts Commonwealth Games organisers after weigh-in disqualification". Inside the Games. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "'Absolute Bullsh*t' - Reigning Irish Elite Champion forced out of the Commonwealth Games". Irish Boxing. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Reigning Irish Champ wins African Championship Gold and makes history for Sierra Leone". Irish Boxing. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Sierra Leone Female Boxer, Sara Haghighat-Joo Bags Gold Medal at AFBC Championship". Sierra Loaded. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Haghighat-Joo vs Nayeli Verde". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Reigning Elite Irish Champ confirms pro move and DAZN debut". Irish Boxing. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Haghighat Joo dethrones Bautista in Toronto". wbaboxing.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Irish Amateur Champ makes World title history". Irish Boxing. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Maria Guadalupe Bautista vs Haghighat-Joo". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Sara Haghigat-joo is World Title Ready". westendac.com. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ "The Gentlemen's Expo - Feature Fighter: Sara Haghighat-joo". fighttoendcancer.com. Retrieved 2024-05-13.