Jordan Gill ready to ruin Zelfa Barrett's world title hopes in Manchester upset

Jordan Gill is preparing to upset the Manchester crowd on Saturday as he takes on local boxer Zelfa Barrett in a world title eliminator.

‘The Thrill’ is fresh from his stunning stoppage victory over Michael Conlon in December, where he thrived as the hometown hero’s opponent in Belfast. It was Gill’s first fight up at super featherweight and helped put him on the cusp of a world title shot, but it was what the 30-year-old revealed in his post-fight interview that put the significance of his win in perspective.

After losing his European title to Kiko Martinez, Gill’s mental health spiralled and he came close to committing suicide in June 2023. Thankfully, Gill was saved that day and has since started businesses and relocated to be closer to his family. The win over Conlon represented Gill being rewarded for transforming his life and he is eager to continue his momentum against Mancunian fighter Barrett at the AO Arena.

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“It was a flood of emotions. It was overwhelming almost,” Gill told MEN Sport. “It was everything I worked towards, everything I visualised come true. The fight played out in front of me the way we prepared and I was happy with the performance. It wasn’t perfect - but when is it ever?

“I thought that nobody expected me to win that fight against Michael Conlon. I went into the lion's den and got the job done. For me, that was a very satisfying thing to do and I’m looking forward to doing it again.”

Gill’s first fight at super featherweight was also his first under new trainer Ben Davison, who has earned plenty of