Jelena Janićijević (, 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. 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.
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. 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.
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.
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. Competing in the welterweight category, she beat Shahla Allahverdiyeva from Azerbaijan by third-round stoppage in the quarter-finals before losing to Germany's Stefanie Von Berge in the final four. Just as had been the case at the world championship, her conqueror went on to win the gold medal.
Janićijević defeated Sarah Weidmann by unanimous decision to claim the vacant WBO European female super-lightweight title in Zlatibor, Serbia, on 5 January 2023.
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.
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. 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.
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. Janićijević lost via majority decision with the judges' scorecards reading 95-95, 92-98 and 93-97.
Personal life Janićijević has a PhD in English literature and is a taekwondo black belt.
Professional boxing record
ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes11Loss6–3–1Biancamaria TessariUD106 June 202610Loss6–2–1Flora PiliMD105 December 20259Win6–1–1Antonina CutiPTS621 December 20248Win5–1–1Sarah WeidmannUD105 January 20237Win4–1–1Oleksandra SidorenkoSD105 March 20226Draw3–1–1Oleksandra SidorenkoSD1024 September 20215Win3–1Karina SzmalenbergUD69 August 20204Win2–1Joanna EkedahlKO5 (6), 22 June 20193NC1–1Licia BoudersaNC5 (6)23 February 20192Win1–1Donya DarouicheKO3 (4)3 November 20181Loss0–1Nahed KharchiPTS629 September 2018
References