MANCHESTER, England - Zelfa Barrett is desperate to get straight back to action after knocking out Mexico’s Christian Bielma last Saturday night.

Jack Catterall and Harlem Eubank fight at Manchester’s AO Arena on July 5 and the 31 year-old can’t think of a better place to reintroduce boxing fans to the new and improved Zelfa Barrett.

Barrett spent years waiting for a big fight at junior lightweight but, in February, a disappointing defeat to James ‘Jazza’ Dickens ruined those plans.

It did, however, give him the chance to start all over again with a clean slate and a new strategy.

After spending his entire career training under his uncle, former European junior welterweight champion, Pat Barrett, the 31 year-old took himself out of his comfort zone and began working with 2015 Ring Magazine Trainer of the Year, Joe Gallagher. He will now campaign at lightweight.

Barrett (32-2, 18 KOs) has been rejuvenated by his move across Manchester and, like the majority of fighters who finally move up a division after battling the scales for years, can’t believe how he ever made 130lbs.

“I'm going to be a world champion at lightweight,” the 31-year-old told The Ring as he looked back on this third round win over Bielma.

“I feel it in my bones when I speak to you. I feel it in my aura. Listen, I should have been doing that to that guy but it's how I've done it. I didn't even get out of first gear. I was just chilling. Sometimes you can overdo some things, can't you? I didn't want to overdo my performance because I've learnt something new. I just wanted to come out calm and cool.

“See that guy? He'd give people hell for like four rounds but that's just a little taste of what I can do.

“These man know. There's a new lightweight. These man were hoping that I wasn't going to go to that weight but now I am.

"So they know. They know what time it is. They know what I'm on.”

Saturday night’s win over Bielma won’t have made more than a ripple in the world lightweight waters but it could well prove to be one of the most important nights of Barrett’s career.

The three rounds of action were the most important part of the whole exercise but Barrett also had to find out how his body would feel at lightweight. He had to to get used to a different fight day routine, a different pre-fight warm-up and a new voice giving advice between rounds.

The old ‘Brown Flash’ nickname has gone and Barrett is overjoyed to be starting a new chapter.

The move to a different gym and a new weight class has gone as well as he could have possibly hoped and he is desperate to be given the opportunity to fight on July 5.

“I’m just Zelfa. I’m changing up my whole [expletive]. I’m excited, man. I'm so excited and hopefully, man, I get on this show. I hope I do,” he said.

“Joe just said to come back tot he gym on Wednesday but I've been running and I'm just staying relevant, staying good. It’s mad. I don't want to take my week. It’s in four weeks that show so I’d rather stay ready.“