“Everyone Knows I Won”
“My brother, everyone knows that I won that fight, and you agree with that too, you have respect for that, I see support from you, thank you for that,” Khataev posted.
Khataev lost a close 10-round split decision to Morrell in July 2025 in a fight that produced heavy debate among fans because of the competitiveness of the contest and a fifth-round knockdown scored by Khataev.
Saturday’s defeat to Chelli revived discussion around Morrell’s recent performances and whether warning signs had already appeared in earlier fights.
“I’m Ready”
Khataev also made clear he would still consider a rematch with Morrell under the right circumstances, although he remains focused on his upcoming June 4 fight against Mickael Diallo in Montreal.
“If people want, I’m ready for a good offer to rematch, but now I’m not interested. I have a case June 4,” Khataev posted on X.
The comments came after boxing journalist Mike Coppinger described Chelli’s knockout win over Morrell as one of the biggest upsets of 2026.
Morrell entered the fight as a massive betting favorite before Chelli stopped him late after gradually breaking him down and taking advantage of the Cuban’s tendency to shell up against the ropes under pressure.
Khataev’s remarks quickly drew attention online because many fans already viewed the 2025 fight with Morrell as one of the closest and most disputed decisions of Morrell’s career. With Morrell now coming off another damaging defeat, debate around his recent performances and long-term position at light heavyweight has intensified again.
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