The 35-year-old Danish professional boxer Sarah Mahfoud became the world’s second best active female featherweight in September 2020 after she clinched the IBF female featherweight title.
The Faroese-born boxer is from Demark but she spent the early years of her life in her mother’s hometown, Vestmanna. Sarah Mahfoud, who has won 11 fights, has also worked as a trainee nurse at a hospital in Bispeberg.
Here are Facts about Sarah Mahfoud
1. Sarah Mahfoud’s Early Life and Background
Sarah Mahfoud was born on 29 September 1989 in Torshavn, Faroe Islands to her parents Mohammad Mahfoud and Vigdis Jakupsdottir Mahfoud. She has two siblings, Allan and Heidi.
Although she spent most of her childhood in Denmark, the boxer spent the first four years of her life in the Islands before her family moved.
While her father is Syrian, her mother is a native of Vestmanna in the Faroe Islands. Sarah’s parents met while they were both studying in France.
Mahfoud once revealed she has a strong connection with her background. She admitted that she is not only connected to the Faroe Islands but also to her father’s birthplace, Syria, and also Denmark, where she has lived for the majority of her life. She also revealed that she used to go to Syria every summer when she was little until the country witnessed the civil war in 2011.
In addition to that, the featherweight champion speaks Danish and Faroese and would want to learn Arabic as well.
2. The Danish Boxer is a Trained Nurse
Featherweight world champion Sarah Mahfoud was trained as a SOSU assistant in 2015. She became the world champion during her 4th semester as a nursing student. Her passion for nursing first came when she worked as an hourly assistant in a care home.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she enrolled as part of the temporary healthcare workforce at a hospital in Bispebjerg, a small town in Copenhagen, Denmark.
3. Sarah Mahfoud Made Her Professional Debut in 2017
Mahfoud made her professional debut scoring a first-round technical knockout victory over Petra Podrraska on 11 February 2017. Following her debut, she had three more fights where she won all.
After defeating Bukiwe Nonina, she won her first professional title on 18 January 2019 at the Nykøbing Falster Hallen in Nykøbing, Denmark. Then in 2020, her fight was for the IBF interim female feather title against defending champion, Brenda Carabajal. At the end of the game, Mahfoud won via UD with scores of 100-90, 98-92, and 97-93.
Having spent more than five years in her professional career, Sarah Mahfoud has fought 11 times with 11 wins and no losses. As of September 2022, her boxing record stands at 11-0(3KOs). In total, she has fought 69 rounds in 11 bouts. Her next fight would be on September 24, 2022, against Amanda Serrano.
4. She is not the Only Boxer in Her Family
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Apparently, Sarah’s brother Allan is a retired boxer. His Instagram bio states that he is a former professional boxer and also a national team boxer. Allan (3-0-0) was a former Bundesliga boxer until he retired and became a boxing coach. He fought in the super welterweight division.
Allan Mahfoud is now running the Mahfoud boxing management. He is also a fitness coach. Aside from Allan, it has been revealed that Sarah’s father also has an interest in boxing.
5. Is the 35-year-old Nurse cum Boxer Married?
At the moment, Sarah Mahfoud is still single. There is no information as regards her love life too. She might be too focused on her career to bother about having a partner. Moreso, she is often surrounded by her loved ones especially her sister and nephew, whom she has shared photos of.
6. The Faroese-born Danish was Ranked the World’s Second Best Active Female
According to reports, Sarah Mahfoud was ranked the world’s second best active female featherweight by BoxRec in September 2020. Also, she was ranked third by the Ring.
7. Mahfoud Has Never Fought Outside Denmark
So far, the boxer has only fought in Denmark and Sweden. She has reportedly never fought outside Denmark or Sweden in her professional career. Her fight with Serrano would be in Manchester and she considers it a way of introducing herself to the world.
8. Sarah Mahfoud Won Vild Med Dans in 2016
In 2016, the fast-rising champion participated in the thirteenth season of the Vild Med Dans and won. Her dance partner was Morten Kjeldgaard. The competition, which was first aired in 2005 is the Danish version of the British TV program Strictly Come Dancing.
9. Her Father founded the Danish Syrian Association in 2011
Mohammad Mahfoud, Sarah’s father has been the chairman of the Danish Syrian Association since it was founded in 2011. The former driving instructor founded the union together with Syrians residing in Denmark with the aim of helping Syrians in Denmark.
Aside from that, Mohammad Mahfoud was accused of cheating on theory tests in a major case against a group of Copenhagen driving instructors in 2017. However, in 2018, the Eastern High Court acquitted him.
10. What is the Professional Boxer’s Net Worth?
Sarah Mahfoud’s salary and earnings are yet to be revealed but considering the number of wins she has, she might be earning nothing less than $400 per match. The boxer falls in this category because female boxers earn from $200 to $400 per match at the lower level.
Also, reports have it that the money is based on the boxer’s weight class, sponsors, and fighting records. As for her net worth, it has been rumored that it is within the range of $100,000 to $500,000.
Sarah Mahfoud has made a name for herself not just as a boxer but at the same time as a nurse. As a professional athlete and at the same time, a trained nurse, the featherweight champion has plans of exploring other fields like somatic and psychiatry. Since most professional boxers tend to retire around the age of 37 with not less than 50 pro fights, Sarah Mahfoud still has a couple of years to win more titles. Also, more fights mean more money for the Danish athlete.
