Who is Patricio Manuel, the first openly transgender boxer in the United States to compete in a professional bout?

Patricio Manuel became the first openly transgender boxer in the United States to compete in a professional bout.

Patricio Manuel came out as transgender sometime around 2012, the same year he qualified for the London Olympic Games trials. He was forced out of the trials due to a shoulder injury. While recovering, he decided to start his hormone treatments in 2013. He had a top surgery in Salt Lake City the next year.

In the first and only time he has competed since starting his transition process, Patricio Manuel faced Mexico's Hugo Aguilar in a four-round boxing match at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California. This was Manuel's debut match as a professional fighter after becoming a five-time national amateur boxing champion while competing in the women's division.

Patricio Manuel went on to win the fight with Hugo Aguilar via unanimous decision, scoring 39-37 across the board. Aguilar revealed to the media later on that he only came to know about Manuel's transition a couple of days prior to the bout and it did not change anything for him inside the ring.

Patricio Manuel paves the way for future generations, along with the likes of Fallon Fox and Alana McLaughlin, two other transgender fighters who have competed professionally.

Fallon Fox was the first MMA fighter to come out as trans. She went on to infamously break the skull of her opponent Tamikka Brents at a Capital City Cage Wars event in 2014.

Alana McLaughlin became the first openly transgender athlete since then to compete in MMA on Friday night. She faced and submitted Celine Provost on the prelims of Combate Global in Miami. McLaughlin clinched the victory with a rear-naked choke in the second round.

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Patricio Manuel chosen to be the face of Everlast

Leading boxing gear and apparel brand Everlast chose to break a few stereotypes a couple of years ago. They selected Patricio Manuel to be one of the new faces of the brand in September 2019 for their 'Be First' campaign.

Transgender pro boxer Patricio Manuel is the new face of Everlast 🥊 pic.twitter.com/pOvSSqtbE7

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) October 1, 2019

Patricio Manuel spoke to CNN at the time about his feelings on the matter and called it a "dream come true" to be recognized by a giant like Everlast:

"I'm incredibly honored to have been selected to tell my story in Everlast's Be First campaign. Everlast is such a fixture in the sport and to have such an iconic athletic company recognize me as I am -- as a professional boxer who is transgender -- is a dream come true. At a time when transgender people are being questioned whether we have a place in the sporting world or even being recognized by the world at large, for Everlast to endorse me is huge," Manuel said.

Watch Patricio Manuel's story as told by Everlast below: