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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