Jermell Charlo Eyes Return at 147 After Long Absence

Jermell Charlo is talking again, and this time it is about going back to 147.

After more than two and a half years away, the former undisputed junior middleweight champion says he is ready to drop to welterweight and return.

Charlo posted on social media on Monday, saying he has run out of patience and that he has been seeking fights since January 2024 without success.

“Go back to 147.. mfer ain’t got time for all that waiting and talking,” Charlo wrote on X. “I literally can prove it since Jan 2024 I been asking to fight whoever say they the best at 154.”

The frustration has been building. After his reign at 154 stalled, the WBA listed Charlo as a champion in recess and positioned him for a possible fight with the winner of Terence Crawford versus Israil Madrimov. That route never opened. The division continued to move, and Charlo remained without a confirmed date or opponent.

Charlo turns 36 in May 2026. He has not fought since his one sided twelve round loss to Canelo Alvarez in September 2023. That bout took place at super middleweight. His last win came in May 2022. Each passing month has made the return harder to sell on performance alone.

From a business standpoint, the welterweight idea carries logic. At 154, Charlo held belts and leverage. He entered talks with authority. At 147, he would arrive without either. The fighters drawing attention in that division are younger, active, and already positioned for major fights.

If Riyadh Season wanted a familiar American name, Charlo could enter discussions involving Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, or Conor Benn. Those are the bouts that still justify major purses. Without Saudi backing, the financial case becomes far thinner.

The questions begin once the discussion shifts to the body.

Charlo has not fought at welterweight since December 2009, when he faced Abdon Lozano early in his career. Making 147 now is not guaranteed. Years at higher weights and a long layoff turn the cut into a real examination.

There is also the issue of expectations. If Charlo is seeking a major payday immediately, that requires outside money. It likely requires Saudi interest. That is a difficult pitch for a fighter coming off a clear loss, with no win since 2022, and no recent activity to point to.

Charlo had hoped to secure a fight with Vergil Ortiz Jr. at 154. Nothing came of it. Now he is talking about starting again at a lower weight, with less control and less time.

The clock is not slowing. At 147, Charlo would be entering someone else’s market. He would be asking for a seat already filled, and he cannot afford to lose or look poor while doing it.

Charlo’s comments also clarify where he no longer sees his future. Any remaining talk of a junior middleweight return now looks secondary to his search for a market that can still support major purses. That makes a bout with Vergil Ortiz Jr. increasingly unlikely. Ortiz remains active and established at 154, while Charlo is signaling a move away from the division entirely. The two trajectories no longer meet.