Chelli breaks Morrell down late after the Cuban controls early rounds behind the southpaw jab
Zak Chelli (17-3-1, 9 KOs) stopped David Morrell (12-2, 9 KOs) in the 10th round Saturday night after wearing the Cuban down late at Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. Morrell controlled long stretches behind the jab before Chelli’s pressure and body work changed the fight in the closing rounds.
For most of the fight, Morrell looked in control. The Cuban southpaw worked behind the jab, kept his feet moving, and lined Chelli up for clean left hands when he tried to close distance. He controlled the pace early, picked his shots well, and used his reach to keep the exchanges where he wanted them.
Chelli kept walking him down anyway.
He stayed behind a high guard, dug to the body when he got close, and kept trying to force Morrell into harder rounds along the ropes. The cleaner work belonged to Morrell through much of the fight, but Chelli kept hammering the body and staying close enough to make Morrell work.
The rounds started changing late.
Morrell’s feet slowed and the jab was no longer creating the same separation. Chelli began setting his feet more confidently and letting combinations go once he got inside. He was still behind on the cards entering the last round, but the fight had started getting rougher than Morrell wanted.
Then it flipped completely.
Chelli landed several hard shots early in the 10th that checked Morrell’s chin and forced him backward. Once Morrell hit the ropes, Chelli did not let him out. He ripped hooks and straight shots in combination, kept punching through the guard, and forced Morrell into survival mode.
Morrell tried to fire back, but the shots lost steam quickly. Chelli kept him trapped near the corner and continued landing clean until referee Darren Sarginson stepped in at 2:24 of the round.
The stoppage changes the direction of both fighters. Morrell came in trying to rebuild his standing after the David Benavidez loss and spent most of the night boxing well behind the jab. He could not hold Chelli off once the pace tightened late. Chelli stayed patient, kept pressing, and found his opening once the fight became physical at close range.
