Zelfa Barrett


Zelfa Barrett is an English professional boxer. He challenged for the IBF super-featherweight title in 2022. Barrett is a former European and English super-featherweight champion.

Professional career

Barrett made his professional debut on 25 October 2014 at the Middleton Arena in Middleton, Greater Manchester, scoring a four round points decision victory over Kristian Laight.
After winning his first 18 fights, 11 by stoppage, he fought Chris Conwell for the vacant English super-featherweight title at the First Direct Arena, Leeds. Barrett won the fight with a fourth-round technical knockout to capture the English title. Barrett dropped Conwell twice in round four, with the end coming at 2:20 after Conwell was unable to beat the referee's count of 10 following a left hook to the body.
His next fight came against Ronnie Clark for the vacant IBF European super-featherweight title on 24 February 2018 at the York Hall, London. Barrett lost the fight by majority decision over 12 rounds. Following a tentative opening round, the fight livened up in round two with Barrett electing to fight at range and having success to the body, while Clark came forward to work on the inside. The next few rounds saw much of the same; Barrett throwing punches from range and Clark forcing the pace to work at close quarters. After being warned for a low blow, Barrett was dropped to the canvas 1 minute into the sixth-round by a straight left-right uppercut combination from southpaw Clark. Barrett was on the back foot for the next minute, evading and blocking punches with the occasional hook and uppercut landing. Barrett began firing back with success in the closing minute of the round. In the second half of the fight, Clark began to show signs of fatigue which allowed Barrett to land his combinations at range with more frequency, with Clark still continuing to press the action and land single shots to make the rounds evenly contested. Two judges scored the bout 116–111 in favour of Clark while the third scored it a draw at 114–114.
Following two consecutive wins over journeyman Edwin Tellez, he then fought Lyon Woodstock on 15 June 2019 for the vacant Commonwealth super-featherweight title at the First Direct Arena, winning via unanimous decision. Two judges scored the bout 117–111 while the third scored it 118–110.
The first defence of his title came on 12 October 2019 against Jordan McCorry at the First Direct Arena. In a fight that saw McCorry lose a point for hitting after the bell at the end of the eighth, he was dropped three times; firstly in the third-round resulting from a left hook to the body; again in the eighth from a right hand to the body; and finally in the ninth-round from an uppercut, causing referee Steve Gray to wave the fight off at 1:43 into the round to see Barrett retain his title with a ninth-round TKO.
Barrett was booked to face the unbeaten Eric Donovan for the vacant IBF Inter-Continental junior-lightweight title on 14 August 2020, at the Matchroom Fight Camp in Brentwood, England. He won the fight by an eight-round technical knockout. Barrett made his first title defense against the former two-weight IBF champion Kiko Martínez on 13 February 2021. He won the fight by unanimous decision with scores of 118–111, 118–111 and 116–113.
Barrett faced the veteran Viorel Simion on 14 August 2021. Simion retired from the fight at the end of the fourth round. Barrett next faced Bruno Tarimo in an IBF super featherweight title eliminator on 18 December 2021. He won the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 117–110, 117–110 and 116–111.
He won the vacant European super-featherweight title with a unanimous decision success over Faroukh Kourbanov at Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff on 4 June 2022.
With just five weeks notice, Barrett took on Shavkat Rakhimov for the vacant IBF super-featherweight title at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on 5 November 2022. He knocked his opponent to the canvas in round three but was himself floored twice in the ninth round with the referee stopping the contest after the second knockdown.
He returned to action on 22 April 2023, defeating Jason Sanchez via unanimous decision at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff.
Barrett faced Jordan Gill at Manchester Arena on 13 April 2024, winning the fight by technical knockout in the 10th round.
On 15 February 2025 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, Barrett lost to Jazza Dickens by unanimous decision.

Personal life

Barrett comes from a fighting family, being a cousin of former Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion Lyndon Arthur, and nephew to former British and European champion and world title challenger, Pat Barrett, who is also his trainer. He is also a cousin of former Manchester United left-back Brandon Williams.
On Christmas day in 2011, Barrett's older cousin, John, was attacked at a private party held at Sinclair's Bar in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. He died the following day from a single stab wound to the back.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
37Win34–3Liam DillonPTS829 Nov 2025National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England
36Win33–3Ramiro Garcia LopezPTS62 Jul 2025DIY Kitchens Stadium, Wakefield, England
35Win32–3Cristian BielmaTKO3, 1:397 Jun 2025Whites Hotel, Bolton, England
34Loss31–3Jazza DickensUD1015 Feb 2025Co-op Live Arena, Manchester, England
33Win31–2Jordan GillTKO10, 2:4413 Apr 2024Manchester Arena, Manchester
32Win30–2Costin IonPTS825 Nov 20233Arena, Dublin, Ireland
31Win29–2Jason SanchezUD1222 Apr 2023Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales
30Loss28–2Shavkat RakhimovTKO9, 2:355 Nov 2022Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesFor vacant IBF super-featherweight title
29Win28–1Faroukh KourbanovUD124 Jun 2022Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, WalesWon European super-featherweight title
28Win27–1Bruno TarimoUD1218 Dec 2021Manchester Arena, Manchester, England
27Win26–1Viorel SimionRTD4, 3:0014 Aug 2021Matchroom Fight Camp, Brentwood, England
26Win25–1Kiko MartínezUD1213 Feb 2021The SSE Arena, London, EnglandRetained IBF Inter-Continental super-featherweight title
25Win24–1Eric DonovanTKO8, 1:3514 Aug 2020Matchroom Fight Camp, Brentwood, EnglandWon vacant IBF Inter-Continental super-featherweight title
24Win23–1Jordan McCorryTKO9, 1:4312 Oct 2019First Direct Arena, Leeds, EnglandRetained Commonwealth super-featherweight title
23Win22–1Lyon Woodstock1215 Jun 2019First Direct Arena, Leeds, EnglandWon vacant Commonwealth super-featherweight title
22Win21–1Edwin TellezTKO2, 2:2227 Apr 2019Leisure Centre, Oldham, England
21Win20–1Edwin TellezPTS89 Jun 2018Manchester Arena, Manchester, England
20Loss19–1Ronnie Clark1224 Feb 2018York Hall, London, EnglandFor vacant IBF European super-featherweight title
19Win19–0Chris ConwellKO4, 2:2021 Oct 2017First Direct Arena, Leeds, EnglandWon vacant English super-featherweight title
18Win18–0Jordan EllisonTKO1, 2:2229 Jul 2017Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Manchester, England
17Win17–0Eusebio OsejoPTS1019 May 2017Whites Hotel, Bolton, England
16Win16–0Ross JamesonTKO6, 2:438 Apr 2017Manchester Arena, Manchester, England
15Win15–0Reynaldo CajinaKO3 2:2524 Feb 2017Middleton Arena, Middleton, England
14Win14–0Rafael Castillo4, 3:0017 Dec 2016Newcastle Racecourse, Newcastle, England
13Win13–0Elvis GuillenTKO1, 1:1022 Oct 2016Whites Hotel, Bolton, England
12Win12–0Reynaldo MoraTKO4, 2:3917 Sep 2016Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, England
11Win11–0Damian LawniczakTKO4, 0:402 Jul 2016Leisure Centre, Oldham, England
10Win10–0Chris AdawayTKO2, 1:4913 May 2016Whites Hotel, Bolton, England
9Win9–0Damian LawniczakPTS612 Mar 2016Echo Arena, Liverpool, England
8Win8–0Aron SzilagyiTKO4, 2:195 Mar 2016Middleton Arena, Middleton, England
7Win7–0Ismail Anwar2, 2:5031 Oct 2015Castle Leisure Centre, Bury, England
6Win6–0Kristian LaightPTS419 Sep 2015Liverpool Olympia, Liverpool, England
5Win5–0Ibrar RiyazPTS430 May 2015Middleton Arena, Middleton, England
4Win4–0Jamie QuinnPTS428 Mar 2015Middleton Arena, Middleton, England
3Win3–0Jamie QuinnPTS431 Jan 2015Middleton Arena, Middleton, England
2Win2–0Joe Beeden1, 0:5213 Dec 2014Sports Centre, Oldham, England
1Win1–0Kristian Laight425 Oct 2014Middleton Arena, Middleton, England