“He Barely Spoke About Me”
“You barely spoke about him. You spoke about him attempting to fight Benavidez or attempting to fight Smith,” Chelli said to Fight Hub TV after the fight tonight, discussing Morrell’s approach in the course of the buildup to their bout.
Chelli repeatedly insisted afterward that he never viewed the final result as an upset despite public expectations heavily favoring Morrell.
“For me, it was never an upset for me. I saw it coming,” said Chelli.
“After I got within the ring, I saw 17 with nine knockouts for Zach Chelli. So I had that vision. I used to be like, ‘Okay, I’m going to knock him out.’”
Chelli said he noticed early that his right hand was landing effectively and decided to remain patient slightly than chasing a reckless finish. Morrell has shown a bent in previous fights to shell up near the ropes under pressure, and Chelli eventually took advantage late in the competition.
“Let Me Cook Him”
“I noticed from the start my right hand was hurting him,” said Chelli.
“So I used to be like, ‘Let me wait. Let me wait for the precise time, right opportunity. Let me cook him.’
“Round by round, waiting for the precise time because I’m not going to do it right away. He recovers. I want the tip where he can’t recuperate.”
Based on Chelli, Morrell became increasingly frustrated because he struggled to land consistently clean shots.
“He began slowing down because he was missing. He couldn’t catch me properly. He’s getting frustrated,” Chelli said.
The British fighter also compared his stoppage win to the performances of previous opponents who didn’t stop Morrell.
“Benavidez Couldn’t Finish Him Off”
“Look, Benavidez couldn’t knock him out,” said Chelli. “The Russian couldn’t finish him off.
“This right hand finished him off. Alhamdulillah,” Chelli said.
The upset victory immediately elevated Zak into greater conversations at light heavyweight.
“Whether he wanted next, I would like now,” Chelli said.
