Alizadeh is the first woman to win an Olympic medal for Iran. She came third in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 18 and also won silver and bronze medals at the World Championships.

In January 2020, she defected and strongly criticised the Iranian government, claiming that the Iranian authorities had used her achievement for political gain and linking the Olympic medal to the Iranian law requiring women to wear the hijab. In February 2021, she was granted refugee status in Germany, allowing her to compete in the European qualifying tournament for Tokyo 2020. 

She qualified, but was unable to repeat her success, losing the bronze medal match. Alizadeh continued to represent the refugee team, competing in the Taekwondo European Qualifiers for Paris 2024 and earning an Olympic berth. On 27 March, Slavcho Binev, president of Taekwondo Bulgaria, announced that Alizadeh would represent Bulgaria at the Olympic Games.

The process of obtaining Bulgarian citizenship is not yet complete, but Binev hopes that Alizadeh will have her passport by 15 April, in time to represent Bulgaria at the European Championships in Belgrade in 2024. "It is a pleasure to represent Bulgaria. It is a new journey and I will do my best," she said at the press conference. Binev hopes that Alizadeh will win an Olympic medal for Bulgaria.