# Choi Hyun-mi

Choi Hyun-mi (Korean: 최현미; born November 7, 1990) is a South Korean female professional boxer. She is a two-weight world champion, having held the WBA female super-featherweight title from 2013 to 2023 and previously the WBA female featherweight title from 2008 to 2013.

## Biography

At age 13, Choi was asked to prepare to compete in the 2008 Olympics as a member of the North Korean team; eventually the International Olympic Committee decided against including women's boxing in the competition. In 2004 her father, a successful businessman in North Korea, fled the country, followed by his family, who traveled first through China, then were smuggled through Vietnam before settling in South Korea, where Choi's promoters advertised her as the "Defector Girl Boxer".
Choi entered the amateur ranks in South Korea in 2006, winning five domestic titles before turning professional. In her pro-debut on October 11, 2008, Choi won the vacant WBA female featherweight World championship by beating Xu Chunyan of China.
Choi won the vacant interim WBA female super-flyweight title thanks to a unanimous decision win over Emiko Raika from Japan on 15 August 2013. She was subsequently upgraded to full champion status.
She won the vacant WBF female super-featherweight World title on 21 May 2016, defeating South Africa's Unathi Myekeni by unanimous decision.
In December 2023, the WBA made Choi "Champion in Recess" after she filed a medical exemption and was ruled unfit to defend her title by the sanctioning body’s annual convention in Orlando, Florida, USA.
After 22 fights unbeaten spanning almost 16 years, Choi suffered the first defeat of her professional boxing career on 27 April 2024, losing to Canada's Jessica Camara by split decision in a contest for the vacant WBA female lightweight Gold title at Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea.

## Professional boxing record

| 23 fights | 21 wins | 1 loss |
| By knockout | 5 | 0 |
| By decision | 16 | 1 |
| Draws | 1 | 1 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
| 23 | Loss | 21–1–1 | Jessica Camara | SD | 10 | Apr 27, 2024 | Ajou University Suwon, South Korea | Lost challenge for the vacant WBA female lightweight Gold title |
| 22 | Win | 21–0–1 | Maria Elena Maderna | UD | 10 | Jul 15, 2023 | Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon, South Korea | |
| 21 | Win | 20–0–1 | Vanessa Bradford | UD | 10 | Oct 19, 2022 | SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium Seoul, South Korea | Retained WBA female super-featherweight title |
| 20 | Win | 19–0–1 | Simone Aparecida da Silva | KO | 9 (10), 1:15 | Sep 18, 2021 | Dongducheon Sports Center Dongducheon, South Korea | Retained WBA female super-featherweight title |
| 19 | Win | 18–0–1 | Calista Salgado | UD | 10 | Dec 18, 2020 | Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Florida, U.S. | Retained WBA female super-featherweight title |
| 18 | Win | 17–0–1 | Wakako Fujiwara | UD | 10 | Jun 29, 2019 | East Incheon middle school, Incheon, South Korea | Retained WBA female super-featherweight title |
| 17 | Win | 16–0–1 | Mayra Alejandra Gomez | UD | 10 | Jul 15, 2018 | Prince Hotel, Daegu, South Korea | Retained WBA female super-featherweight title |
| 16 | Win | 15–0–1 | Jessica Gonzalez | TD | 6 (10), 1:05 | Nov 18, 2017 | Seoun Park Tennis Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea | Retained WBA female super-featherweight title |
| 15 | Win | 14–0–1 | Kimika Miyoshi | UD | 10 | Apr 15, 2017 | Siheung Gymnasium, Siheung, South Korea | Retained WBA female super-featherweight title |
| 14 | Win | 13–0–1 | Unathi Myekeni | UD | 10 | May 16, 2016 | Jinju Arena, Jinju, South Korea | Won vacant WBF female super-featherweight title |
| 13 | Win | 12–0–1 | Diana Ayala | UD | 10 | Mar 27, 2016 | Gwangmyeong Cave, Gwangmyeong, South Korea | Retained WBA female super-featherweight title |
| 12 | Win | 11–0–1 | Siriwan Thongmanit | KO | 3 (10) | Dec 6, 2015 | Seogu Public Sports Center, Daegu, South Korea | |
| 11 | Win | 10–0–1 | Chika Mizutani | UD | 10 | May 23, 2015 | Mungyeong Gymnasium, Mungyeong, South Korea | Retained WBA female super-featherweight title |
| 10 | Win | 9–0–1 | Keanpetch Superchamps | TKO | 8 (10), 1:19 | May 10, 2014 | Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea | Retained WBA female super-featherweight title |
| 9 | Win | 8–0–1 | Emiko Raika | UD | 10 | Aug 15, 2013 | Wolmido, Incheon, South Korea | Won WBA interim female super-featherweight title |
| 8 | Win | 7–0–1 | Shannon O'Connell | UD | 10 | May 5, 2013 | KBS Sports World, Seoul, South Korea | Retained WBA female featherweight title |
| 7 | Win | 6–0–1 | Rocio Castillo | UD | 10 | May 4, 2012 | KBS Sports World, Seoul, South Korea | Retained WBA female featherweight title |
| 6 | Win | 5–0–1 | Sainumdoi Superchamps | TKO | 5 (10), 1:19 | Dec 17, 2011 | Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea | Retained WBA female featherweight title |
| 5 | Win | 4–0–1 | Sandy Tsagouris | KO | 3 (10), 1:39 | Apr 29, 2011 | Chungeui Temple, Yesan Gun, South Korea | Retained WBA female featherweight title |
| 4 | Win | 3–0–1 | Claudia Andrea Lopez | SD | 10 | Apr 30, 2010 | Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea | Retained WBA female featherweight title |
| 3 | Win | 2–0–1 | Tenku Tsubasa | UD | 10 | Nov 21, 2009 | Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea | Retained WBA female featherweight title |
| 2 | Draw | 1–0–1 | Kim Hyo-min | SD | 10 | May 30, 2009 | Seoul National Univ. of Technology, Seoul, South Korea | Retained WBA female featherweight title |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Xu Chunyan | UD | 10 | Oct 11, 2008 | Gymnasium, Jinan Gun, South Korea | Won vacant WBA female featherweight title |