Activity hasn't always been the friend of Rashidi Ellis. However, after ending his near two-year hiatus with a first-round stoppage victory over Jose Marruffo in July of 2022, the speedy welterweight contender was hopeful that he’d parlay that momentum into big-time matchups.

Striving to get his 2023 campaign off to a proper start, Ellis squared off against Roiman Villa on the first weekend of the new year. Viewed as a sizable favorite, Ellis appeared to be well on his way to proving oddsmakers right. But while the 29-year-old boxed circles around his man during the first half of their bout, he struggled mightily in the second half, particularly in the 12th.

Seemingly needing a gigantic final frame to pull out the victory, Villa bit down on his mouthpiece and swung for the fences. As a result, his violent punching power stole the show, dropping Ellis twice in those last three minutes en route to a close majority decision win.

Since being forced to swallow that bitter pill, Ellis recently revealed that he went back to the tape and took an honest assessment of his performance. Having done so, Ellis believes now more than ever, that he was done wrong by the judges.  

“In my opinion, I thought that I won the fight but I just got caught with a shot in the last round,” said Ellis during an interview on The PBC Podcast. “Other than that, I thought I did good.”

For Villa, a victory over Ellis has ostensibly elevated his career. Now, the 29-year-old from Venezuela finds his name mentioned amongst the upper tier of the current crop of welterweight contenders.

Ellis though, refuses to sit idly by and hit the reset button. Although time normally heals all wounds, Ellis is still sulking. With neither man currently scheduled to enter the ring anytime soon, Ellis is hoping that he’ll be given a chance to make amends. Until he does so, Ellis admits that the indelible stain on his record, and how things ultimately played out against Villa, is something he simply won’t be able to accept.

“I just want that rematch. I want that rematch asap. It don’t sit well with me.”