"That shirt is fire," "Where do I buy?" - Fans react to ex-UFC star sporting Imane Khelif T-shirt while training

A former UFC star's show of support for Olympic boxer Imane Khelif amid the ongoing gender row seems to have impressed fight fans.

Derek Brunson recently took to X to post a workout picture, donning a T-shirt with Khelif's image on it. Brunson's show of support comes as the boxer is facing backlash over a failed International Boxing Association (IBA) gender eligibility test from last year.

During her latest bout at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Khelif dominated from the get-go, prompting Italy's Angela Carini to withdraw just 46 seconds in. The result, however, has invited a slew of public criticism toward the Algerian, mainly questioning her eligibility to take part in women's divisions.

However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has refused to acknowledge the IBA's tests and maintains that the boxer has cleared all the criteria to compete in the women's category.

Now, Brunson's backing of the controversial Olympian has generated a ton of online discourse in her support. Let's check out a few responses below.

@owleeds wrote:

"That shirt is fire."

@Armfield135 enquired:

"Where do I buy."

However, not all responses were in Khelif's favor.

@Dluxx619 slammed Brunson, writing:

"Are you guys dating? You seem so hell-bent on defending that man's honor."

Check out a few more responses below:

Screenshots courtesy @DerekBrunson on X

However, not all MMA stars share Brunson's perspective. Many slammed the Olympics for clearing Khelif to compete in the women's division.

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UFC stars slam Olympics over Imane Khelif controversy

Unlike Derek Brunson, many top UFC stars were not happy with Imane Khelif competing in the women's division in the Olympics. While the IOC has unsubstantiated the IBA ruling that had negated Khelif's eligibility, this did not stop the fighters from speaking their mind.

In a post on X, former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya had this to say:

"Men shouldn't be boxing women. Lol, he couldn't even finish her. Anyway, people > politics."

Catch Israel Adesanya's comments below:

Former bantamweight title challenger Marlon Vera branded the Olympic Games' organizers "mentally insane" for the inclusion.

Additionally, during episode #161 of the JRE MMA Show, veteran commentator Joe Rogan stated that allowing biological males and transgender individuals to compete in women's sports, especially combat sports, isn't acceptable.