In response to comments from Whittaker, Chelli said that his win over Morrell was much more than a lucky stroke.
“He hasn’t (fought anyone). I just saw a recent interview of him where he said my fight was a stroke of luck,” Chelli told Sky Sports Boxing. “You don’t get a lucky shot against a two-time world champion in the weight division who gave David Benavidez a tough time.
“You don’t get a lucky shot in boxing, especially at that level. Maybe against a smaller one. At that level against a guy who’s prepared for a lucky shot that’s trained for it. I wouldn’t say jealous, but I think he regrets not taking that fight. I don’t think he would have done the job if he had taken that fight.”
Despite criticizing Whittaker’s record, Chelli says he would welcome a fight with him.
“I don’t see him as a real competition, but he’s a big name out there. What are we boxing for? Are we boxing for money, for fame or for the belts? He’s the one I want at the WBC right now. So if his name is brought to me, of course I’d love to take it,” said Chelli.
Chelli also revealed that the pair were once teammates in Team GB and claimed he dropped Whittaker during a sparring session.
“We were good friends at one point. We were on Team GB and shared the same rooms, and we were close. I think we were fighting for the English title in the finals, and I think something got messed up there. We had a sparring session. I dropped him in sparring,” says Chelli. “You can ask witnesses there that I dropped him in sparring, but he was still selected for the Commonwealth Games.”
Whittaker (11-0-1, 8 KOs) holds the WBC International light heavyweight title and last fought in April, stopping Liam Cameron in the second round of their rematch in Birmingham. Chelli’s upset win over Morrell was the biggest win of his career and put him in position for higher profile fights in the 175-pound division.
“I don’t see him as competition”
Zak Chelli has his say on Ben Whittaker 👀 pic.twitter.com/JBILvEC3Rt
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) June 17, 2026
