Jelena Janićijević
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 7 March 1985[2] | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | Lightweight, Light-welterweight, Welterweight | ||||||||||||||
| Boxing career | |||||||||||||||
| Stance | Orthodox | ||||||||||||||
| Boxing record[1] | |||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 10 | ||||||||||||||
| Wins | 6 | ||||||||||||||
| Win by KO | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Losses | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Draws | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| No contests | 1 | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||
Jelena Janićijević (Serbian Cyrillic: Јелена Јанићијевић, born 7 March 1985) is a Serbian professional boxer. She has held the European female lightweight and WBO European female super-lightweight titles. Janićijević became the first female boxer from Serbia to win a senior medal at an International Boxing Association sanctioned competition when she claimed bronze at the 2022 Women's European Amateur Boxing Championships.
Career
A former kickboxer, Janićijević switched to boxing in 2015.[3] She lost on her professional debut suffering a points decision defeat to Nahed Kharchi in a six-round contest in Drap, France, on 29 September 2018.[4]
Three victories and a no contest followed before, on 24 September 2021, Janićijević fought Oleksandra Sidorenko for the vacant European female lightweight title with the contest in Oborniki, Poland, ending in a draw.[5] A rematch was held on 5 March 2022 in Dzierżoniów, Poland, with Janićijević winning the bout, and the title, by split decision. Two judges scored 96-94 and 97-93 respectively for Janićijević and the third gave the contest 96-94 for Sidorenko.[6]
Taking advantage of a change in rules that allowed professionals to take part in previously amateur-only competitions, Janićijević competed at the 2022 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Istanbul, Turkey in May 2022, going out in the light-welterweight quarter-finals to the eventual gold medalist, Ireland's Amy Broadhurst.[7]
In October 2022, she won the first ever senior medal for a Serbian female boxer at an International Boxing Association sanctioned event when she took bronze at the 2022 Women's European Amateur Boxing Championships in Budva, Montenegro.[3][8] Competing in the welterweight category, she beat Shahla Allahverdiyeva from Azerbaijan by third-round stoppage in the quarter-finals[9] before losing to Germany's Stefanie Von Berge in the final four.[10] Just as had been the case at the world championship, her conqueror went on to win the gold medal.[11]
Janićijević defeated Sarah Weidmann by unanimous decision to claim the vacant WBO European female super-lightweight title in Zlatibor, Serbia, on 5 January 2023.[12][13]
Two months later, at the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, India, she lost in the light-welterweight category round of 16.[3]
Janićijević looked set to get an opportunity to become a professional world champion when the IBF ordered negotiations to take place between her and Brazil's Beatriz Ferreira to fight for the female lightweight title vacated by Katie Taylor.[14] However, she was removed from the IBF's rating for undisclosed reasons after terms for the contest were not agreed before the negotiation period expired.[15][16]
She faced Flora Pili for the vacant IBO female super-lightweight title at L'Agora Champ de Foire in Saint-Avold, France, on 5 December 2025.[12] Janićijević lost via majority decision.[17]
Personal life
Janićijević has a PhD in English literature and is a taekwondo black belt.[3]
Professional boxing record
| 10 fights | 6 wins | 2 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 4 | 2 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| No contests | 1 | |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Loss | 5–2–1(1) | Flora Pili | MD | 10 | 5 December 2025 | L'Agora Champ de Foire, Saint-Avold, France | For vacant IBO female super-lightweight title |
| 9 | Win | 6–1–1(1) | Antonina Cuti | PTS | 6 | 21 December 2024 | Carini, Sicily, Italy | |
| 8 | Win | 5–1–1(1) | Sarah Weidmann | UD | 10 | 5 January 2023 | Zlatibor, Serbia | Won vacant WBO European female super-lightweight title |
| 7 | Win | 4–1–1(1) | Oleksandra Sidorenko | SD | 10 | 5 March 2022 | Hala Osrodka Sportu, Dzierżoniów, Poland | Won vacant European Boxing Union female lightweight title |
| 6 | Draw | 3–1–1(1) | Oleksandra
Sidorenko |
SD | 10 | 24 September 2021 | Hala Sportowa, Oborniki, Poland | For vacant European female lightweight title |
| 5 | Win | 3–1(1) | Karina Szmalenberg | UD | 6 | 9 August 2020 | Eisstadion, Braunlage, Germany | |
| 4 | Win | 2–1(1) | Joanna Ekedahl | KO | 5 (6), 1:00 | 22 June 2019 | Forum, Horsens, Denmark | |
| 3 | NC | 1–1(1) | Licia Boudersa | NC | 5 (6) | 23 February 2019 | Palais des Sports Saint-Sauveur, Lille, France | Injury. Originally Janicijevic win by TKO. Changed to no contest on 17 December 2020[18] |
| 2 | Win | 1–1 | Donya Darouiche | KO | 3 (4) | 3 November 2018 | Complexe de la Busserine, Marseille, France | |
| 1 | Loss | 0–1 | Nahed Kharchi | PTS | 6 | 29 September 2018 | Espace Jean Ferrat, Drap, France |
References
- ^ "Boxing record for Jelena Janićijević". BoxRec.
- ^ a b "Jelena Janićijević". tapology.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ a b c d "Serbian boxer Jelena exploring World with big picture in mind". New Indian Express. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ "Nahed Kharchi vs Jelena Janicijevic". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ "Oleksandra Sidorenko vs Jelena Janićijević". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
- ^ "Euro News: Jelena Janicijevic, Robert Cohen, Jake James, More". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ "Spain, Kosovo, the Netherlands and Lithuania are among the medallist nations in Istanbul". EUBC. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ "Serbian sports in 2022". serbia.gov.rs. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ "Jelena Janicijevic vs Shahla Allahverdiyeva". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ "Stefanie Von Berge vs Jelena Janicijevic". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ "The winners of the EUBC European Women's Boxing Championships are crowned in Montenegro". IBA. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ a b "Jelena Janicijevic returns, Kem Ljungquist mandatory named". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ "Srpska bokserka Jelena Janićijević profesionalna šampionka Evrope". Politika (in Serbian). Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ "Beatriz Ferreira-Jelena Janicijevic: IBF Orders Vacant Lightweight Title Fight". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ "Beatriz Ferreira-Yanina Del Carmen Lescano Title Fight Confirmed for April 27". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ "BEATRIZ FERREIRA-YANINA DEL CARMEN LESCANO IBF TITLE FIGHT SET, APRIL 27 IN LIVERPOOL". The Ring. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ "Saint-Avold : la boxeuse Flora Pili sacrée championne du monde IBO des poids super-légers". ICI (in French). Retrieved 6 December 2025.
- ^ "Boxrec profile of Jelena Janićijević". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.