He gained a fast-track qualification to become a supply teacher. Within weeks, Chelli was standing in front of a high school class.

“To be honest, they wanted just anyone with a degree because teachers were dropping like flies because of Covid,” he says.

“On my first day, they gave me a year 10 class in a girls’ school. I was teaching GCSE geography – I didn’t even do GCSE geography!

“But the first day went so well they asked me to come back for a couple of months.”

His new vocation served a purpose but Chelli soon realised teaching was not his calling.

“I was doing 8am to 4pm days and I soon realised how tough a working day is,” he says. “I realised I do not want to do this for the rest of my life. Boxing is what I wanted to do.”

After a breakout win over American Anthony Sims Jr – a decorated amateur – in February 2023, he suffered a shock loss against Chorley’s Mark Jeffers four months later.

“That loss really was a wake-up call,” he says. “Perhaps I got a bit too arrogant and complacent.”

He scoffs at the idea of ever returning to the classroom. Instead Chelli – now promoted by Ben Shalom’s Boxxer – is focused on dishing out some punishment to rival Cullen at the M&S Bank Arena this weekend.

“We fought in 2020 and it was a draw. I felt I won. But I was only 22 and now I believe I am in my prime,” Chelli says.

“Throughout my career, my father has been saying I’m the best super-middleweight in Great Britain – now this is a chance to prove it.”