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Zak Chelli ‘expects the unexpected’ after overdue clash with David Morrell

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Zak Chelli ‘expects the unexpected’ in late-notice David Morrell clash

From the outside, Zak Chelli will have a treacherous mountain to climb on Saturday when he faces world-class featherlight heavyweight contender David Morrell.

For starters, his career has been plagued by inactivity over the past 20 months, with Chelli only completing one task – winning the Premier League title – since then losing by unanimous decision to Callum Simpson in August 2024

Secondly, the former British and Commonwealth super middleweight champion hasn’t competed anywhere near the world level at 168lbs, let alone 175lbs, as he looks to create a massive upset against Morrell.

The talented Cuban was scheduled to face Callum Smith last month, but an injury ruled his opponent out of the breathtaking fight.

However, in a bizarre turn of events, Morrell will now collide with Chelli on the undercard of Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.

Attributing his inactivity to “contract issues” and “other things behind the scenes,” Chelli tells Boxing News he’s constantly hanging around the gym.

All this time he’s been trying to convince his domestic counterparts to roll the dice against him, but now he’ll be taking a massive risk in pursuit of a bigger reward.

“When I say I want massive fights, I mean it. As you can see, I’m fighting David Morrell – I’m trying to prove to them [his domestic counterparts] that I am above their level.

“I’m approaching 10 years as a professional, so I know how the process works, I know the business.

“You have to be patient because you could have that one phone call that will change your life.”

In addition to her professional career, Chelli works for Time Out Boxing, where she teaches basics to children with special educational needs or behavior management issues.

At first, he says, the children take one look at him as an “aggressive guy,” but then they get to know him and begin to “show a lot of respect.”

However, it may be harder for the Londoner to earn Morrell’s respect, even if it is an opportunity he has actively sought.

“As soon as Callum Smith got injured, my dad literally said in every social media post: ‘Come on [Morrell] to my son.”

“Then we got a call from Alfie Warren [of Warren Boxing Management]telling us this fight can happen.”

Knowing the reputation of his next opponent, who lost a decision to David Benavidez in February 2025, Chelli sees no reason to study the 28-year-old.

However, he is acutely aware of his known underdog status, which has given him extra motivation to perform well against Jack Cullen and Anthony Sims Jr in 2020 and 2023, respectively.

“I haven’t seen too many [Morrell]honestly, but I know Benavidez is a good fighter and he managed to fight Benavidez 12 rounds, so I’m not going to underestimate him. But on May 9, I will show people what level I am at and what I can do.

“A lot of people doubted me in a lot of my fights, but I think it motivates me to do better.”

As for the game plan, Chelli had not considered such a thing before facing Morrell, who won a split decision over Olympic bronze medalist Imam Khataev last July.

Instead, he would rather be prepared for all possible scenarios rather than focusing mainly on a specific player’s style, especially considering he only had three to four weeks’ notice.

“I don’t think specific sparring helps because when you’re in the ring with someone, that person is always going to be different from how [you’ve previously seen] their.

“But being a southpaw, I’ve battled a lot of them and I’ve always done well. I always expect the unexpected. Whatever comes my way, I’ll adapt and maneuver around it.”

Regardless of the result, Chelli will still be a must-see for the British 175lb title, which will certainly take the pressure off his fight with Morrell.

That said, he is clearly eager to get his career back on track and secure further opportunities, knowing he will be better equipped to do so with an eye-catching performance in his next match.

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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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