Oscar Bonifacino Steps Into The Ring With Pride And Purpose
Winning your first professional fight with a second-round technical knockout is one way to make a name for yourself. Grabbing the microphone moments later to announce you’re a proud gay man is how you make history.
That’s exactly what Oscar Bonifacino did in February, right in the centre of the ring in his hometown of Maldonado, Uruguay.
A statement bigger than the knockout.
After the referee stopped the fight, Bonifacino took a moment to address the crowd with a message that was clear and direct. “I am a free person, I am a gay man,” he said. With those words, the 21-year-old became South America’s first openly gay professional male boxer, a significant moment in a sport not always known for its acceptance.
He’s got the skills to back it up…
This wasn’t just a political statement, it was a victory celebration. The win against Matías Gabrielli was the culmination of a powerful amateur run in 2024, where Bonifacino dominated with nine wins and only one draw in ten bouts. His professional debut proved that he is a serious athletic talent.
Joining a very exclusive club.
The boxing world hasn’t had a visible, publicly out gay man in the professional ranks for some time. The last was Puerto Rican boxer Orlando Cruz, who competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and came out in 2012. Cruz had his last professional fight back in 2018.
Bonifacino has now stepped onto that stage. While the world waits to see who he fights next, one thing is certain, he has already proven he’s a formidable contender, both in and out of the ring.
