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David Morrell expects to face Callum Smith after last minute fight with Zak Chelli on Wardley-Dubois card

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David Morrell expects to face Callum Smith after last minute Zak Chelli fight on Wardley-Dubois card

David Morrell fully expects his “interim” WBO title fight will be postponed, even though there is uncertainty over when Callum Smith will return to fighting.

They were both scheduled to feature in Liverpool last month, but only on a fleeting basis former world champion Smith withdrew due to an undisclosed injury.

Of course, it’s far from perfect that Smith hasn’t fought since February 2025, when he defeated Joshua Buatsi by unanimous decision to win his “interim” lightweight heavyweight title.

However, despite the inactivity of Smith, whose recovery timetable remains unclear, both sides appear keen to reschedule the Morrell fight for later this year.

Until then, Morrell must stay in the win column as he makes a quick pit stop against former British and Commonwealth champion Zak Chelli this Saturday.

Their bout, which will take place at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, replaces Jared Anderson vs. Solomon Dacres in the main support role for Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois.

This happened thanks to the skillful approach to the situation by general manager Luis DeCubas Jr., who successfully saved his client from spending a year on the shelf.

Grateful for the opportunity, Morrell tells Boxing News his initial response to Smith’s injury was professional.

“I didn’t react too strongly – that’s part of being a professional athlete. As a fighter, you have to train your mindset and just be ready for anything [comes your way].

So I stayed serene and just kept training.”

Believing Smith’s fight will be “100%” postponed, Morrell remains keenly aware of the danger of taking his eye off the ball.

He learned this particular lesson in his last outing, when a lack of concentration, by his own admission, caused the talented Cuban to suffer a fifth-round knockdown against Imam Khataev.

Despite this, Morrell managed to achieve a split decision last July, but his performance was far from what we are accustomed to from a skilled technician.

“This fight wasn’t good, I wasn’t 100% focused, a few things happened in my personal circle.

“With a guy like Khataev, you’re supposed to box, move, and exploit those skills to control the fight. But since I wasn’t 100% focused, I just used my fighting instincts and got the win.”

After the Khataev fight, Morrell parted ways with Ronnie Shields and joined forces with head coach Ismael Salas, training alongside the likes of Rolando Romero, Alberto Puello and Yoelvis Gomez.

“[Salas has] I brought back some of the Cuban education that I lost a little bit when I came to the States and trained in Houston [Texas]. Returning to the roots is always essential.

“There was also communication [barrier] at my last camp, but since everyone now speaks the same language and is on the same page, it has had a really positive impact [on his training]”

With Salas at his side, Morrell clearly rediscovered the extraordinary skills that brought him considerable success in amateur competition.

Now, hoping to showcase his talents to a British audience, the 28-year-old looks ready to prove why he is one of the top contenders at 175 pounds against Chelli.

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Teofimo Lopez Questions Dana White After Viral UFC Apex Clip

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Image: Teofimo Lopez Questions Dana White After Viral UFC Apex Clip

Teofimo Lopez publicly questioned Dana White after a video from the BrandRisk event at UFC Apex spread across the internet, showing Dana walking past him at the commentary desk with no apparent greeting or acknowledgment.

The clip went viral on social media this week and sparked a backlash from Teofimo, who used the moment to question the treatment of martial arts champions.


The video shows White and UFC director Hunter Campbell walking through the room while Lopez sits in the commentary box. White appears to look towards Teofimo, then walks towards his seat without stopping.

The exchange quickly became a topic of discussion online, with fans debating whether the moment was an intentional slight or simply a byproduct of the frenetic atmosphere surrounding the celebrity event.

Teofimo had previously given a positive review of BrandRisk’s performance, calling it an unforgettable evening. However, his reaction to the clip turned the brief interaction into a broader discussion about respect and appreciation for players.

The timing is noteworthy because Lopez’s name has repeatedly come up in conversations about TKO’s planned Zuffa Boxing venture. Teofimo has spoken out about the project in the past, while criticizing the customary system of championship belts in boxing.

Neither White nor Campbell has publicly responded to Teofimo’s comments.

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Last updated: 29/05/2026 at 17:43

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Canelo Alvarez names a player he thinks could take his place when he retires

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Canelo Alvarez names the fighter he feels can take his place when he retires

Canelo Alvarez named the fighter he believes most deserves a moment of passing the torch, perhaps not in the ring, but rather in a non-fight sense.

As a fan of fighters from his home country, the 35-year-old can’t wait to see who emerges as the next face of Mexican boxing.

Many would still consider Canelo the leading star in Mexican boxing even if his next fight is against WBC super middleweight world champion Christian Mbillawill take place on September 12 in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, David Benavidez is widely expected to be a key player on Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day weekends, especially given his stellar performance against Gilberto Ramirez earlier this month.

But instead of highlighting Benavidez as the man to follow in his footsteps, Canelo suggested that Jaime Munguia deserves to inherit his metaphorical torch.

Munguia lost a unanimous decision to Alvarez in 2024, but has since teamed up with his compatriot, training under head coach Eddy Reynoso.

This partnership proved particularly successful earlier this month when the 29-year-old became a two-weight world champion, unanimously defeating and dethroning Armando Resendiz to win the WBA super middleweight belt.

While talking to Ring MagazineCanelo stressed that his stablemate is a worthy candidate to take up his torch.

“I would like to pass the torch to Munguia. Why not? He has learned a lot [under Reynoso]. He works very rigid and is a very good guy, so he deserves everything.

While Munguia may have been a hard-working athlete, it certainly raised eyebrows when Munguia tested positive for drugs last year and was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing by the relevant governing and sanctioning bodies.

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Han-Holm 2, heading Serrano-Hanson MVPW-03 in El Paso

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Most Valuable Promotions returns to ESPN on Saturday night with MVPW-03, a twelve-fight card at the El Paso County Coliseum built around four women’s title fights and led by a double main event: WBA lightweight champion Stephanie Han against Holly Holm in a rematch and unified featherweight champion Amanda Serrano against German Cheyenne Hanson. The main card begins at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Preliminary bouts will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Him vs. Holm 2

Stephanie Han (12-0, 3 KO) will defend her WBA lightweight title against Holly Holm (34-3-3, 9 KO) over ten three-minute rounds. The fight is being fought on the same principles of equal opportunity that both sides applied during their first meeting on January 3 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The fight ended in the seventh round after an accidental clash of heads resulted in a cut to Han’s eye, which the ringside doctor deemed too earnest to continue. Han received a technical decision with scores of 69-65, 69-64 and 68-65 for Most Valuable Promotions. Holm immediately demanded a rematch, and Han’s promoter agreed.

Han is 35 years elderly, from El Paso, and a full-time police officer who turned professional in 2021. She won the WBA belt after a first-round knockout of Hannah Terlep in February 2025 and is starting her third defense. Holm, 44, of Albuquerque, returned to boxing in June after a twelve-year absence spent in mixed martial arts, where she won the UFC women’s bantamweight title in 2015 by defeating Ronda Rousey. Holm stopped Yolanda Vega in her return to boxing last year under the Jake Paul-Julio César Chávez Jr. card. Saturday’s victory will give her the world champion title in the fourth weight category.

You can read Boxing Insider’s coverage of the first fight in Puerto Rico here.

As Holm enters fight week, the Ronda Rousey storyline is circulating again. Rousey returned to competition on May 16 at the first MVP event and submitted Gina Carano in 17 seconds, after which she announced that she was withdrawing from the competition. When asked about chatting about a rematch, Holm said MMA fight: “I highly doubt she’ll ever want a rematch. I’ve always said since the last fight that I would always have a rematch with her. It was always available.” Holm added: “The reason it was so critical to beat her was because she was so dominant. I have all the respect for her.”

Serrano vs. Hanson

Amanda Serrano (48-4-1, 31 KO) will defend her WBA and WBO featherweight titles against German Cheyenne “Pepper” Hanson (17-2, 13 KO) over ten three-minute rounds. This is Hanson’s first world title fight. He’s starting a nine-game winning streak with seven stoppages Illustrated sports.

Serrano will pick up a unanimous decision victory over Reina Tellez on Jan. 3 in San Juan, on the same card that produced Han-Holm 1. She said KTSM in El Paso that the booking was a return of the favor. “Listen, I didn’t think twice when I found out Stephanie Han had a rematch with Holly in El Paso,” Serrano said. “They came and opened up for me. It was my second main event in Puerto Rico, in my hometown, so it was a huge honor for me that they could share that night with me. I thought, what? They’re coming back in a rematch from El Paso, I need to be on this card. Please let me in. And they did.”

The rest of the main card

Two additional world title fights open the four-fight ESPN broadcast.

Australian Desley Robinson (11-3, 4 KO) will defend her IBF and WBO middleweight titles against Mary Spencer (10-3, 6 KO) of Ontario, Canada in a ten-round 160-pound fight. Spencer is a former WBA junior middleweight world champion.

Mexican Lourdes “La Pequeña Lulu” Juarez (39-4, 5 KO) will defend her WBC junior flyweight title against Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle (34-3, 10 KO) over ten rounds. Valle, a three-division world champion, won her seventh world title with the victory.

Introductory card

The undercard, streaming on ESPN+ from 3:30 p.m. ET, features ten fights with a mix of men’s and women’s fights:

  • Yesica Nery Plata (30-3, 3 KO) vs. Brook Sibrian (9-2, 4 KO), eight rounds, lightweight
  • Reina Tellez (13-1-1, 5 KO) vs. Juliana Basualdo (14-7, 3 KO), eight rounds, featherweight
  • Miranda Reyes (8-3-1, 3 KO) vs. Camilla Panatta (8-3-1, 1 KO), eight rounds, super featherweight
  • Jocelyn Camarillo (6-0, 1 KO) vs. Yazmin Martinez (3-3-2, 1 KO)
  • Iyana Verduzco (7-0, 1 KO) vs. TBA
  • Elise Soto (10-0, 9 KO) vs. Thalia Joseline Limon (4-1, 3 KO)
  • Alexis Chaparro (7-0, 6 KO) vs. Edward Ulloa (15-7, 12 KO)
  • Alexander Gueche (11-0, 7 KO) vs. Joshua Montoya (7-4-2)
  • Nazarena Romero (14-1-2, 8 KO) vs. Maria Salinas (27-14-6, 7 KOs)
  • Albina Moldazhanova (3-0, 3 KO) vs. Claudia Herrera (5-6-1, 2 KO)

How to watch

Main card: 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, streaming on ESPN Select and ESPN Unlimited, at Yahoo Sports. Preliminary card: 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The official weigh-in will take place on Friday at 6 p.m. MT at the El Paso County Coliseum and will be streamed on MVP’s YouTube channel and ESPN+.

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