Zelfa Barrett buzzing for big night against European champion Rafael Acosta
Jan 6, 2026
2 min read
Zelfa Barrett has won three straight since joining Joe Gallagher and rebuilding at lightweight, having been outpointed by newly-minted WBA 130-pound world champion Jazza Dickens. Now with an April 11 date to prepare for, he tells The Ring of his optimi...
Zelfa Barrett is looking to make a statement when he fights European lightweight champion Rafael Acosta on April 11.
Barrett (34-3, 18 KOs) will travel to Spain before taking on 23-year-old Acosta (16-1, 6 KOs), who outpointed Frank Urquiaga to win the vacant European belt last month.
The show will be a joint promotion between Black Flash - run by Barrett's uncle and former trainer Pat - and Heredia Promotions. A venue and full fight card will be revealed shortly.
Barrett has been looking for a way back at the top level since losing a 10-round decision to current WBA junior lightweight champion Jazza Dickens in February 2025.
That defeat caused the 32-year-old Mancunian to rethink his approach. He joined up with former Ring Magazine Trainer of the Year, Joe Gallagher, and stepped up to 135 pounds.
He's since racked up three wins over five months to finish 2025 and is now ready to attack the lightweight division.
"He's a decent, European level fighter. He's not really boxed anyone but I'm not going to underestimate him," Barrett told The Ring about Acosta.
"He's fighting for a [minor version of a] world title so of course he's going to turn up.
"I've done things that he wants to do but, listen, he's still a contender, still a man. Someone that wants to try beat me and become IBO champion, so that's given me motivation.
"It's not just this, it's what is after this for me. That's why I'm just excited, win this title, snatch and grab, then move forward."
Spanish fans are renowned for getting behind their fighters and generating hostile atmospheres but travelling holds no fears for the Barrett family.
Back in 1990, Pat travelled to Italy and won the European junior welterweight title by knocking out Efrem Calamati with a frightening right hand four rounds into their fight.
In 2022 Barrett himself took a short-notice trip to Abu Dhabi to challenge Shavkat Rakhimov for the IBF junior lightweight title. He performed well and dropped the Tajik before tiring and being stopped in the ninth round.
Barrett has big plans for 2026 and knows that beating Acosta is a crucial first step. He has no intentions of allowing anything to distract him from the task at hand.
"I went to Abu Dhabi and nearly won the world title. No, it [a hostile environment] doesn't bother me," he said.
"They can't get in the ring, can't fight for him. They can just cheer for him but that don't mean nothing.
"Pat went over to Italy and sparked Calamati, done the Italian job. Then he trained Marcus Morrison when he went over and beat Emanuele Blandamura [July 2019] in Italy.
"That's the best thing about boxing. It don't matter where it is. You know when they say 'we can fight in a phone box?' Literally. His crowd can't win him a fight."
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